Aladdin Blood Trilogy 2: Ocean Blood
by Ginger Bizkits
Summary: Sequal to Aladdin Blood Trilogy Story 1: Bad Blood. Saleen now has the memories of Aladdin and his friends, and has a scheme to drag Aladdin into the depths of the sea.
1. Previously

Before you begin...

Before you start reading this fanfiction, you need to know what happened in my previous fanfiction, Aladdin Blood Trilogy- Story One: Bad Blood. If you've read it, GREAT! You can begin chapter one. Believe me, you' rather read this below if you don't want to read all Thirty-one chapters of Bad Blood (even though some chapters are about ten lines long) unless you're okay with that, then please read it :)  
Though, this is a detailed run through of what happened:, so you COULD just go on ahead and pick things up as you go along :)

**Chapter One: Captured**

_(Set 3 months after the end of King of Thieves) _Iago and Cassim are lost in the desert. After discussing what to do next, Iago suddenly realizes where they have ended up: The Land of the Black Sand! Iago begins to panic, when they are attacked by Mamluks. Cassim's horse rears up, and before they can get away, Cassim is grabbed by sand, and pulled beneath the surface. Iago however, escapes, telling Cassim that he will go get Aladdin. Mozenrath however, is nearby and hears this, and happily anticipates the Street rat's arrival.

**Chapter Two: Heroic Types**

Iago had been flying for about three hours, and was feeling exhausted, from lack of food. He reluctantly began shouting "GENIE!", hoping his irritating blue friend would hear. Just as he gives up, Genie's pink powers scoop him up and whisk him away.  
Meanwhile, up in Agrabah, Jasmine is getting ready for a day out with Aladdin, who is waiting downstairs with the guys. Aladdin questions Genie's seemingly random action of sending a jet of magic out of the window, but Genie blows him off, telling him he'd see shortly. Upstairs, Jasmine is unsure of what to wear for the day. She has a secret, which she doesn't feel ready to tell Aladdin yet. She chooses to wear a purple dress that flares out beneath her bust, with a green jewel necklace and green slippers. Before Aladdin can finish telling Jasmine how beautiful she is, Iago crashes in with the bombshell. The date is called off and the team race off for a rescue.

**Chapter Three: Unwanted Questions**

Cassim is stuck in a large birdcage made of tar, suspended from the ceiling. Beneath him, Mozenrath is preparing for Aladdin's arrival. Cassim- who had to endure hours of Iago ranting about how much he hates the Genie's annoying behaviour- begins to ask Mozenrath annoying questions. Finally, Cassim makes a desperate move to save Aladdin, and brings up the subject of his lost son, Mozen, after noticing the similarities between their names. Mozenrath- pretending to be uninterested, asks Cassim to tell more.  
Cassim reluctantly tells Mozenrath how he and his wife- who was pregnant- went for a walk with their young son, Mozen. They met a magician, who was performing to a crowd. The magician seemed very interested in Mozen, asking him to volunteer, until finally, one spell went 'wrong' and Mozen and the magician disappeared without a trace. Cassim told Mozenrath about how he had spent all his free time looking for Mozen and the magician, but never found them, ultimately ending with him losing his job as he spent too much time searching for his lost son, causing him to leave Agrabah and join the Forty Thieves. Mozenrath- who seems to be in shock- asks Cassim what the magician's name was. Cassim reveals it to be Destane, Mozenrath's old master. Mozenrath realizes that this may be a man who hated Destane more than he did, so he orders Destane (now a mamluk) to come forward. Mozenrath sets Cassim free of the cage, but keeps his feet stuck in tar, and hands him a sword. Cassim- now knowing that this mamluk was the one who kidnapped his son- began to slice the mamluk for Mozenrath's amusement.

**Chapter Four: A Forgotten Ultimatum**

Aladdin and the others arrive on Carpet, and spot Cassim seemingly being attacked by a Mamluk inside the Citadel. They rush in to save him, but they are engulfed in Mozenrath's powers.  
When Aladdin comes to, he is chained to the centre of the tall circular room by his right ankle. He spots Mozenrath, who promptly creates a pair of shackles that tie Aladdin's hands behind his back. Mozenrath reveals Aladdin's friends, who are all trapped: Genie and Carpet in a large bottle, Abu and Iago in a net, and Cassim and Jasmine in separate cages. All of them are unconscious. Aladdin immediately asks what Mozenrath wants in return for letting them go.  
After taunting Aladdin by suggestively leaning against Jasmine's cage whilst musing over the different uses of a prisoner, Mozenrath says Aladdin can let _one_ of his friends go, unless he picked the princess, which would count for two. Aladdin is bewildered by this comment, to which Mozenrath gleefully awakens Jasmine from her enchanted snooze, who immediately places her hands over her stomach. Aladdin realizes that Jasmine is pregnant, while a delighted Mozenrath tries to provoke Aladdin by asking him how it feels, knowing that he was _second _to find out about Jasmine's pregnancy. When he realizes Aladdin is trying to ignore this, he causes Jasmine to cry out in pain. Aladdin blurts out that he'd do anything if Mozenrath stopped.  
Mozenrath happily awakens the group, informs them of the situation: Aladdin may choose one friend to be sent back to Agrabah, and everyone else has to stay and meet their end. He points out each of the friends ( "Your princess and your unborn child? Or one of the comic relief, or...") but pauses when he reaches Cassim.  
When Aladdin reveals Cassim to be his father, Mozenrath is livid. Cassim quickly explains about the son he had before Aladdin, and how he was stolen by a magician. Aladdin still doesn't make the connection, until Mozenrath's outburst ("His son's name was Mozen. The magician's was Destane. Fill in the blank!") and realizes Cassim is Mozenrath's father. It took him a little longer to realize that Mozenrath is his brother, as it is something he would have never guessed.

**Chapter Five: Tangling of Brothers**

Aladdin refuses to believe it, but before Cassim can help him see the truth, Mozenrath attacks (to Cassim's horror). Aladdin however, pulls a stunt which causes Mozenrath's powers to slice through Aladdin's restraints. Aladdin quickly gets up and wrestles the gauntlet from Mozenrath, when there is a flash of light. When it clears, Mozenrath and Aladdin have swapped clothes- right down to the gauntlet. Aladdin yanks it off, only to discover his hand has now become bone, whereas Mozenrath's hand has been restored.  
When Aladdin accidentally frees Genie and Carpet (then frees the others), Mozenrath snatches back the gauntlet and places it back on his wrist. After another flash, everything is seemingly restored. A relieved Jasmine runs into 'Aladdin's' arms, whilst the others are suddenly interested in Mozenrath- who is in fact Aladdin's spirit- stuck inside Mozenrath's body! Which means the man holding Jasmine is vice-versa... Mozenrath's spirit in _Aladdin's_ body, but still wearing the gauntlet.  
When Jasmine realizes her mistake, she is revolted, but Mozenrath now uses Aladdin's strength to hold Jasmine still, and prevent her from escaping. Aladdin- who can't get any closer as Mozenrath is threatening Jasmine- asks Mozenrath why he had wanted his body that first time. Mozenrath reveals that his body was weakened by the gauntlet, but after the body-sharing episode, Mozenrath's body's strength was restored.  
When asked why he still wanted Aladdin's body now, Mozenrath says simply for the physical strength and twists Jasmine's arm slightly to prove the point. Aladdin dives forward, shoving Jasmine aside. Mozenrath kicks Aladdin in the chest and mocks him, telling him that there is no way Jasmine could ever want to be with him, now that he has Mozenrath's body. Jasmine is furious by this, remembering the time she had been turned into a snake-monster by Mirage, and how Aladdin had stayed with her, even when she almost killed him with her venomous barbs. She attacks Mozenrath from behind by leaping onto his back, pulling his hair, at the same time as Aladdin attacked from the front. Mozenrath finally gives in, agreeing to turn them back (saying that the more he was attacked, the worse shape Aladdin would be in when they were restored).

**Chapter Six: A Deterred Exit**

Using the device that Mozenrath had once used to try to switch bodies with Aladdin, Mozenrath switches the two back to their original bodies. After his soul being inside Aladdin's again, Mozenrath's right hand is restored once more. Mozenrath requests for the gauntlet back, which- after encouragement from Cassim- Aladdin returns to him.  
Mozenrath then informs the Mamluks not to to attack Aladdin and his friends, then tells the group to go before he 'changes his mind'. Aladdin thanks Mozenrath and, just before they left, a Mamluk's hand seized Aladdin's ankle. Mozenrath sighs, telling them that, as usual, Destane's mamluk is always the last to obey. Xerxes is sent to get the rest of the Mamluk. When he returns, Mozenrath repairs the Mamluk, then repeats the order. As Aladdin and the others turn to leave once more, the Mamluk speaks, much to Mozenrath's horror.  
Destane's mamluk began throwing potions at Mozenrath. One potion went off course and almost his Aladdin and Jasmine, but Mozenrath deflected it. Realizing Mozenrath just saved him, Aladdin leapt up and knocked Mozenrath out of the way of another potion just in time. Destane furiously throws a potion at Aladdin, catching him on the side of the face. Mozenrath vaporizes Destane's body, then checks on Aladdin, whose face and hands are covered in the potion's contents. Xerxes and Mozenrath recognize it as the potion used to create a familiar- an animal companion or servant for a person practising magical arts. Before Aladdin can wipe it away, the potion absorbs into his skin, as Destane's spirit is nearby and can now control Aladdin's transformation. Whilst they are trying to think of a cure (and Iago untactfully describes how painful transformation is) Destane swoops. Aladdin is tortured right before their eyes, his back arching in pain. He finally slumps when Destane decides to drag out his transformation. Aladdin opens his eyes and everyone backs off in horror.

**Chapter Seven: Browsing for the Cure**

Aladdin's eyes have changed. The reddish-brown irises have expanded to cover the whites of his eyes, and the pupils have become cat-like slits. Mozenrath and Xerxes vanish from the room and return with a spell book, revealing the cure to the potion: either Destane had to cancel the effects, or the tie between Destane and Aladdin had to be separated, using the blade of separation, found on an island, inside the Cave of Trials: a powerful cave that only ten worthy people could enter, every fifty years. All together, Aladdin, Jasmine, Cassim, Mozenrath, Xerxes, Iago, Abu, Carpet and Genie made nine, so that meant they had to find one more worthy being to enter alongside them. The group decide to go to the Cave and see the requirements before they went around grabbing randomers. Jasmine realizes why Mozenrath is offering to help: if Destane gains control of Aladdin, he could force Aladdin to mercilessly kill Mozenrath, in revenge for turning him into a Mamluk. The group settle onto Carpet, Aladdin and Mozenrath stuck side by side, glaring at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

**Chapter Eight: An Elemental Encounter**

Mozenrath and Aladdin are still glaring at each other as Carpet flies over a stretch of sea. Genie, who is pushing Carpet from behind, is sick of the glaring, and tries to push Aladdin back from Mozenrath- right over the edge of Carpet.  
As Aladdin plummets into the sea, Carpet dives down to where he fell beneath the surface. Jasmine seizes Aladdin's hand when it sticks up out of the water. The group tug until Aladdin's head appears. Aladdin tries to warn them about something. ("It's Sa-"), but he is cut off when a purple octopus tentacle covers his mouth and he is dragged underwater once more. Moments later, a large bubble of water breaks the surface, containing Saleen, her octopus Armond and Aladdin, who Armond is restraining. Jasmine tries to break through the bubble, but it is thick and rubbery. Jasmine realizes that Aladdin is drowning, and cries out. Genie leaps at the bubble, but is catapulted out of sight. As Iago yells at Saleen not to drown Aladdin, Saleen informs them that she intends to turn Aladdin into a creature of the sea, using her repaired-starfish.  
Saleen creates a bubble that allows Aladdin to breath for a moment, buying her more time to taunt Jasmine. She changes Aladdin's outfit (as he is currently wearing the one he wore when battling Sa'luk in the King of Thieves) into a blue version of his normal outfit, so she can apply the starfish. She is stopped however, when Xerxes- being a sea animal- dives into the bubble and eats the starfish, before creating a small hole in the side of the bubble. Just then, Destane decides to advance the transformation, and Aladdin suddenly goes limp, losing the last of his precious air. Mozenrath leaps into the water, and sticks his gauntlet through the hole Xerxes created, taking a shot at Saleen. Saleen and Armond are sent backwards, and the bubble dissolves. Mozenrath grabs Aladdin's limp form and pulls him to the surface.  
Once everyone is aboard Carpet, and Genie has returned, Aladdin began twitching as several dark brown rings appeared on his skin, resembling those of a leopard or a jaguar. As Genie wakes Aladdin up, Destane adds some more touches: Aladdin's fingernails lengthen into small black claws and his teeth become pointed. Mozenrath bellows his fury at Destane, angry at him for torturing Aladdin. The group set off, Genie turning into a booster to help get to the Cave before the transformation is complete.  
Saleen meanwhile, has just burst up from the water. She yells furiously at the disappearing speck that was Carpet while Armond celebrates her failure, as he wants Saleen to himself. Saleen then noticed the fez she conjured for Aladdin, bobbing up and down in the water. She picks it up, and plucks on of Aladdin's hairs from the inside, before gleefully diving into the sea, Armond close behind her.

**Chapter Nine: Approaching the Cave of Trials**

As they draw nearer to the Cave, the group become more and more concerned with Aladdin's transformation, as two tiny horns appear above his eyebrows. When they reach the island, they are greeted by Deja, a sandy-coloured unicorn with a thick, twisted, black horn. He shows them their entrances: Xerxes, Abu and Iago's entrances are the most faithful familiar, the Liberator and the vanquisher of a cruel master, Jasmine, Mozenrath and Cassim's are the Princess of Agrabah, the Lord of the Black Sand and the King of Thieves. Carpet and Genie's are the exception to the Cave of Wonders and the Genie of the Lamp. The final entrances are entitled The Diamond in the Rough and the Witch of the Sand (which causes some confusion for Aladdin, having not ever heard himself being called that). Aladdin then asks Genie to go fetch Sadira, who they assume is the next person.

**Chapter Ten: Going In**

Sadira is at her home, with nothing to do, so she decides to fool around with her powers: she creates an outfit for herself- a rose-pink strapless vest, with harem pants of the same colour. She makes some golden bangles appear on her right wrist, a golden band appear around her left upper forearm, and a pink square-shaped jewel appear around her neck. Just then, Genie appears and literally catapults Sadira away to the Cave of Trials, where she knocks over Mozenrath (who had been examining Aladdin, as his ears had been turned to a cat's). She is very hostile around him, until she spots Aladdin, and agrees to help him out of this predicament. She is very shocked by the news about Mozenrath, but tries not to show it. Just before the group go in, Deja tells them that they will each enter separately, and be faced by many hazards as they all try to meet up in the middle, and that they must know that if one fails, they all fail. Everyone's help will be needed at the end to retrieve the Blade of Separation. The group nervously enter.

**Chapter Eleven: An Odd Grouping**

The chapter opens with Carpet flying silently through the cave. The first obstacle is a large gap, which Carpet easily glides over. A nearby rock has a message on it, telling Carpet that all his friends will have to face this trial also, much to Carpet's concern. As Carpet flies around the corner, he is pinned down by rocks, and a bunch of moths close in around him...  
Abu meanwhile, climbs around the gap with ease, and meets _his _worst fear: the room was filled with gold monkey statues, all in different poses, all holding a big, red jewel. Some were holding their jewel in their golden tails, some in their paws, and others had their arms wrapped around it. These were Abu's worst fear, as not only were all the golden statues were similar to the one from the Cave of Wonders, they also all looked like him. It was his worst nightmare- Abu, becoming the gold treasure he adored so much, having people sell him, steal him, stare at him... and Abu faints.  
Genie has easily flown over the gap but was then trapped in a bottle, while Iago and Xerxes have also flown over their gaps and met their fears: Iago faced an empty room (he fears having nothing), while Xerxes meets a skeleton dressed as Mozenrath (fearing Mozenrath's death). The two then bump into each other, and find the unconscious Abu. After Iago touches a statue, the room fills with lava, and the group are almost burned, until Xerxes makes Abu realize that the lava would disappear once he wasn't scared.  
The trio then find themselves in a large, circular cave. In the centre was a stone table, which had a small pyramid resting on the top. A white light shone down on to the pyramid. Deja walks out of the shadow and tells them that the group will all meet up here to be shown memories that may cause them to turn on each other: the Trial is to see if they can forgive each other. Deja then shows the three animals _their_ memories (which mainly consist of them hurting each other), which they aren't angered by at all- in fact, they find it funny. Deja stops them from laughing by reminding them that other members of the group may not handle it as well. The three begin to worry about what happens when Mozenrath and Aladdin arrive.

**Chapter Twelve: Genie's Worst Fear**

Aladdin is making his way through the caves until he meets the gap, which he tries to leap across when he hears Destane's voice, threatening to complete the transformation and make him kill Mozenrath and his "pesky friends". Aladdin grabs onto a ledge, just as he is engulfed in Destane's green mist. When it clears, Aladdin had been given a forked tongue and his skin was now covered in short fur, the same colour as his skin, sill speckled with dark brown leopard spots. His hands and feet were practically paws, with longs, sharp black claws and worst of all, he has a lion's tail, with a tuft of black hair on the end. Destane threatens to continue with the transformation, but Aladdin runs away- into an apparition of Rasoul, who informs him that Aziz (an old enemy of Aladdin) has returned to Agrabah, and killed all its inhabitants, including Jasmine and his friends. When Aladdin refuses to believe him, Rasoul vanishes, and Aladdin spots a bottle on the ground- containing Genie.  
As soon as Aladdin frees Genie, Genie mistakes Aladdin for a large humanoid cat-monster, and attacks him. He apologizes once he realizes his mistake, but Aladdin isn't bothered- he cares more about hurrying up, fearing that Destane would make him attack Genie and everyone else. Before the pair can leave, the see Ajed al-Gebraic- one of Genie's old masters. After using all three wishes, he sold Genie to a magician in return for eternal life. However, eternal youth wasn't included, so he continued to age into an little old man. By Aladdin's time, Ajed al-Gebraic has seen and done everything, and as a result is extremely bored. He hired a muktaar to kidnap Genie to provide him with company, but Aladdin came to the rescue. Seeing Aladdin and Genie's friendship, he let Genie go – at least, until Aladdin died.  
Aladdin tries to reassure Genie that al-Gebraic is just an apparition, when al-Gebraic releases a pair of shackles, clamping down on Genie's wrists. Al-Gebraic (falsely) says this means Genie is now his servant, and had to grant wishes- his first wish being to kill Aladdin! Genie- forgetting Aladdin's warnings that al-Gebraic would vanish the moment Genie was unafraid, Genie panics when a jet of light shoots from his finger, causing Aladdin to drop to the floor.

**Chapter Thirteen: Jasmine, Conqueror of All Fear**

Jasmine- who had vaulted the gap with a pole she had found on the ground- conquers her fear (Agrabah and all its inhabitants destroyed- easy to pass as she knew Agrabah wouldn't be in the Cave), and she spies three figures in the room with her- a short old man, Genie, and a humanoid figure on the floor which she recognizes as Aladdin due to his hair and clothing. Once she convinces Genie not to be afraid, al-Gebraic disappears, and Aladdin is awakened.  
Aladdin is horrified when he sees Jasmine, and tries to hide his face out of shame, which irritates her, and she tells him that she doesn't care what he looks like, to which Destane's invisible spirit appears once more, and tells Jasmine that _he _cares about Aladdin's appearance. Jasmine tries to shield Aladdin, but she is flung through a wall by Destane's magic. Aladdin leaps up to safe her, but Destane attacks him. When the smoke clears, has pretty much become a lion- a brown lion with pointed ears, leopard's rings, a forked tongue and mane resembling Aladdin's black hair. He still has his voice however, which he uses to shout for Jasmine through the wall. She calls back, saying she is okay, and that she has found Carpet. Then- at Aladdin's request- Genie creates a mirror, so Aladdin can take in his reflection.

**Chapter Fourteen: A Deserved Slap**

Mozenrath used his power to levitate over the gap he faced, but didn't have as much luck when entering the room containing his worst fear: he face a room full of Mamluks. Mozenrath doesn't know that this is his fear however, and orders the nearest one two move. This irritates the Mamluks, and they steal his gauntlet, and use it against him.  
At the same time, Sadira (having used sand powers to build a bridge over the gap), met her worst fear- losing friendships. She hears the Mamluk's voices (_"Look at his life, ebbing away..." )_ and races around the corner, worried one of her friends are in danger. She instead meets an unconcious Mozenrath and a room full of Mamluks, who explain to her what Mozenrath did to them, which lowers Sadira's views on Mozenrath. She promises the Mamluks that she would make Mozenrath suffer if they let her and Mozenrath past, but they don't believe her. To wake Mozenrath up, Sadira slaps Mozenrath across the face, causing him to yelp, which amuses the Mamluks. Sadira snatches the gauntlet and she and Mozenrath escape the room.  
As the pair walk along (or Sadira sprints while Mozenrath lazily floats along beside her), Sadira falls through a hole in the floor.

**Chapter Fifteen: Rejection to Optimism **

Mozenrath quickly saves Sadira, and she thanks him. Mozenrath, feeling a little awkward as she is standing so close to him, and he hasn't really been this close to anyone before- except Xerxes or when leering at Aladdin. He walks ahead, and Sadira smiles dreamily to herself.  
Aladdin and Genie are walking down a tunnel nearby, which is filled with mirror shards, which were designed to torture Aladdin, as he is forced to look at his lion-reflection repeatedly. He rejects Genie's attempts at cheering him up, even when Genie dresses him up in his streetrat clothing. When Aladdin runs around a corner, he meets Iago, Abu and Xerxes. Iago is petrified by Aladdin, believing him to be a monster, whilst Abu is startled, but realizes its Aladdin by his clothes and voice, while Xerxes recognized him all along. Iago and Abu hug Aladdin.

**Chapter Sixteen: More Memories**

Cassim, who had just faced his fear, was distraught. He had watched two small boys palying a game, which was then interrupted by a shadow, which engulfed them, and when they emerged, they were familiar grown men, fighting. The problem was, Cassim's fear was true. Aladdin and Mozenrath had started fighting even after they found out they were brothers. Cassim wondered if Destane had been a better father to Mozenrath then he could have ever been. He then meets Jasmine, who is trying to prevent moths from eating Carpet (who is still pinned under the rock). Cassim moves the rocks whilst Jasmine keeps the moths at bay. Once Carpet is free, the trio quickly escape.  
Further ahead, Aladdin and Genie are being shown petty arguments that had been resolved the same day they broke out, so they weren't too bothered by them. Moments later however, Jasmine falls onto Aladdin's back, having fallen off Carpet. Cassim and Carpet appear, worried about Jasmine, but she is too bust being horrified by what Destane has done to Aladdin, and demands that Deja continues ASAP. Nobody notices Sadira and Mozenrath enter at the back.  
Deja shows the memory of Jasmine kissing Jafar. When Jafar refers to Jasmine as a "pussycat", Aladdin snarls furiously, shocking everyone in the room. He recovers though, and the memory continues. Despite being hurt, Aladdin tells Jasmine that he understands that she kissed Jafar to help Aladdin (even if it didn't work), and of course he forgives her.  
It is here Mozenrath announces his presence, irritating everyone except Cassim and Xerxes. Deja then informs them that he has some more memories to show the group, these ones most likely affecting Aladdin, Jasmine and Sadira. When Mozenrath laughs, Deja tells him that the memories may also bother him. Deja shows the group images of Aladdin, and all the girls he had chasing him around (including Sadira), leading Mozenrath to give Sadira the silent treatment.  
Deja then shows the group flashes of Mozenrath and Aladdin's main conflicts- including some of the euphemisms that Mozenrath shot at Jasmine. Aladdin and Mozenrath are staring at each other, trying to read each other's emotions, when Deja whispers something in Mozenrath's ear- apparently the next memory would be painful for him. As a result, Deja creates a large rock that Mozenrath and Xerxes can duck behind whilst the memories are shown.

**Chapter Seventeen: Same Things**

The memory starts off by showing a younger Cassim and his pregnant wife, Nada, making their way through the streets of Agrabah. A small boy by the name of Mozen, runs alongside them. He plays a couple of tricks with a coin, making it disappear, then pulling it out of a woman's hair. While Cassim and Nada discuss names for the baby, Mozen suggest Aladdin if its a boy (as it is a word he invented) and Sadira if it's a girl (as the family used to have a cat named Sadira. Nada reminds them of a painter that created a canvas and sold it to the palace, which he apparently modelled on Mozen and the cat playing). As they continue with their walk, Mozen is kidnapped by Destane.  
The memory then jumps to Mozen, chained up in Destane's dungeon. He is injured by Destane, before being forced to read book after book on sorcery everyday, until Mozen is eleven, and he tries to escape. He uses a teleportation spell to take him to his mother. Instead, he finds himself standing in a clear blue lake, where cromated ashes are thrown. He reads an inscription on her urn, which informs him that she had given birth to a son in his absence. Mozen then requests to be taken to his father, who, true to the title "King of Theives", is robbing a nearby civillian. Mozen fleds in fear, and teleports to where his brother is. He sees a young Aladdin running away from a merchant with stolen fruit. Mozen saves him, and greets Aladdin, who has no idea who he is. Just then, Destane appears. Mozen tells Aladdin to run as Destane drags him back to the Land of the Black Sand, where he is severly punished. Destane however, becomes crueller and crueller, constantly giving Mozen a black eye, while his sister, Mirage (_AHHHH!)_ who frequently visits, scratches a line down Mozen's pale face, from above one eyebrow, down his cheek, until it reaches the corner of his lips. Whenever Mozen disobeys Destane, he shows Mozen an image of Aladdin, with the same marks on his face, knowing that he would do anything to prevent harm falling on his brother. Mozen refuses to be beaten however, and creates Xerxes.  
Mozen seems to be okay, until he turns seventeen. Destane throws Xerxes into a furnace, and hooks Mozen up to a machine, which will drain him of his power, thus turning him into a mamluk. Before they begin, Destane decides to be extra cruel, and wipes Mozen's memory of his parents and brother- and without parents, you don't have a name. Destane informs Mozen that his name is Mozenrath, which he has no choice to believe. Believing Xerxes to be dead, Mozenrath gives up, but just before the machine hits him, Mozenrath spies Xerxes crawling out of the furnace, giving him hope. He kicks the machine, causing it to hit Destane instead of him, transforming Destane into a Mamluk. Believing that after defeating the most powerful Sorceror in the Seven Deserts, Mozenrath now believes he can accomplish anything.  
The memory clears, and everyone looks at Mozenrath, who refuses to accept Aladdin's "pity". Destane then breifly takes control of Aladdin, causing a now green-eyed Aladdin to pounce on Mozenrath, who grabs Aladdin's right paw.  
There is a flash, and the two have switched: Aladdin is now on the floor, dressed in Mozenrath's clothing, whilst Mozenrath has become a white lion, with a black curled mane, and thin, black stripes like a tiger as apposed to Aladdin's old brown coat with leopard spots. And he also had black spikes above his eyes too, and his eyes were exactly like Aladdin's had been. Aladdin immediately offers to switch back, and after a brief arguement, they do. The group realize that the reason Aladdin and Mozenrath can keep "soul-jumping" is because they are the only two to have ever worn the gauntlet, are both closely related to each other _and_ are obviously still connected after they were both stuck in the same body.  
Genie then reminds them that they need to hurry up as they all want the same things.

**Chapter Eighteen: An Outsider's Interference**

The group are following a passageway, when the ground opens up. Initially, Jasmine and Abu fall through, but whilst trying to save them, Aladdin pulls Jasmine out, and begins to slide down as well. When Mozenrath tries to save him, they soul-jump again- a half-transform Aladdin falls into the hole with Abu, and a half-transformed Mozenrath falls backwards. The hole immediately seals up, and a worried Deja appears, saying that the next trial was _supposed _to be Jasmine and Abu in trouble, whilst the other eight had to save them- instead, Aladdin would take Jasmine's place. Mozenrath- whose face was patterend with black tiger-stripes, his teeth pointed, he had claws, two small spikes protruded from his forehead above his eyebrows, and with eyes the exact same reddish-brown cat eyes that Aladdin had, is afraid of being in Destane;s power, but doesn't show it.  
Deja then shows the group what the next trial is: the group appear in a huge cave that was clearly deep underground- the cave walls were keeping the island up from the sea, but there were holes in them, showing sunlight in, and seawater, so everytime a wave hit one of the holes, water poured in. About a mile across the churning water, was a teardrop-shaped rock that was hanging from the ceiling with a small hole in the bottom. Abu and Aladdin are tied up inside, and its up to the others to rescue them by sailing a raft over to them and freeing them before the cave fills up with water and they drown.  
As the group sail across the water, Saleen swims past, and realizes where Aladdin is. The group become more frantic, realizing Saleen could reach Aladdin at any second. Iago realizes that the key tied to the centre of the raft must be to free Aladdin and Abu.  
Oblivious to this, Aladdin cuts himself free of his bindings using his claws. Aladdin vaguely notes that he was wearing the navy blue outfit Saleen conjured, but the fez was missing. He tries to free Abu, but can't- he needs the key fastened to the boat to free him, as he is tied up with a chain and a lock that the pair of them can't pick. Aladdin spots the others approaching through a hole in the side of the rock he and Abu are trapped in. However, Saleen uses her magic to lift herself and Armand inside the rock with Aladdin and Abu, and switches to her "human" form.  
She informs Aladdin that the fez he had been wearing had a hair in it, which Saleen had turned into a string of Aladdin's memories. She had _all_ of Aladdin's memories, and that she _knows _what is happening with Destane- to prove her point, she uses a spell to remove Destane's power from Aladdin, instantly turning him human. She approaches him, and refers to him as "Prince Ali", to show she has seen _every _one of Aladdin's memories _(basically, the things we've seen from watching the movies and series) _and walks over to him slowly. When he pulls away, she places him under a binding spell, so he can't move. After a few tense seconds, Aladdin breaks free of the spell and runs towards Abu. Before he can reach his friend, Saleen hits him with another spell, which transforms him into a brown shark from the waist down.  
While this is happening, Mozenrath- having a soul-link with Aladdin- is also being affected by Saleen's spells: he turns back into a human, and becomes stiff when hit with the binding spell, before finally being turned into a merman as well (except with a navy-blue shark tail rather than a brown one. Like Aladdin, his clothes vanish as well, except his gauntlet). The group speed up, and finally reach the rock. A fight ensures (Sadira and Jasmine take on Saleen, causing her to accidentally turn Aladdin and thus, Mozenrath back into humans), and in a furious rage, Saleen swipes hairs/feathers/scales from everyone else, before escaping with Armand. Aladdin urgently explains that she now has everyone's memories. They realize that its too late now, and they should just move on.

**Chapter Nineteen: What could have been**

The next trial invloves witnessing what would have happened if each of the group didn't exist. Before the trial begins, Destane attempts to continue with they transformation, but all that happens (at first) is that Aladidn and Mozenrath collapse onto the floor. They recover soon, and Mozenrath realizes something: "He's _weak. _That's why he hasn't been bothering you- us, as much as before. He's been getting weaker. And thanks to that elemental undoing the transformation, Destane has to start again. We have more _time." _Aladdin then has an idea: he causes another soul-switch by touching the gauntlet, and when Destane attacks once more, the effects are split between Aladdin and Mozenrath, so that it will take _longer _for Destane to complete the transformation as the effects of the transformation would be halfed.  
Deja then begins the trial- Aladdin is first up. All he has to do is stand in the middle of the group, and focus on one one of them at a time, and they will see an image of how they would look if Aladdin hadn't existed.  
Aladdin first looks at Jasmine, and is horrified by what he sees: An image of Jasmine, except she was thinner, her head was hung and she looked ready to cry. She was wearing a similar version of the red slave outfit Jafar had once conjured up for her- except there was a red veil hanging from her shoulders, which completely concealed her right arm. Deja explains that without Aladdin, she would have lost her arm the first time she explored the marketplace without Aladdin to fend of the merchant who tried to amputate Jasmine's arm. Jasmine would also have been forced to marry Jafar.  
Sadira notices that Mozenrath seems to be as strongly affected by this image as Aladdin was. Mozenrath realizes that this is because when he and Aladdin are sharing the affects of Destane's transformation, they also share emotions. Mozenrath convinces Aladdin to switch back, leaving Mozenrath with the full effects of Destane's transformation (at the moment, he just has cat eyes).  
Aladdin carries on with the trial, revealing the fate of each of his friends: Abu would have been shut inside the Destiny Stone alongside Minos, Fatmina and Aziz. Sadira would have been a slave for Jafar, Carpet and Genie would be left inside the cave of wonders, Iago would still be Jafar's familiar and lastly, if Nada hadn't of been pregnant with Aladdin, she and Cassim would have searched for Mozen together- and they would have found him. Destane would have killed them, and Mozen had no desire to live, and died, and therefore, wouldn't have created Xerxes.  
Next, Mozenrath steps up. All that matters is that if he didn't exist, Destane would have stolen Aladdin instead of Mozen that day in the Marketplace. This seems impossible, but Mozenrath explains that Destane had a spell, that could take a baby from a womb, and then he could speed up its aging. Aladdin however had very little magical talent, so Destane would have killed him. Nada and Cassim would have assumed Aladdin had been a miscarriage, and got on with their lives, until Jafar came into power, and they would have been enslaved. Everything else is the same as if Aladdin hadn't been born.  
If Cassim didn't exist, it would be the same, as neither sons would exist. If Abu didn't exist, Aladdin would have been caught by the Guards years before, but Jafar would have still freed Aladdin from the dungeon and taken him to the Cave of Wonders. If Abu hadn't been there during that ordeal in the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin would have been killed by Jafar whilst trying to leave. The same thing goes with Carpet: if Carpet didn't exist, Aladdin wouldn't have made it out of the Cave alive- neither one of these outcomes would have helped the others, although Iago, Mozenrath and Xerxes would have coped well. If Iago didn't exist, Jafar would have got a different familiar- who was brutal, and persuaded Jafar to murder everyone who got in his way.  
Jasmine's existence is very significant- without her, none of the group would exist: right from the age of four, she would stop the palace guards and ask them to let her out into the city. They would always say no, as the Sultan had forbidden her to leave the palace. This five-minue delay saved Aladdin, Abu and Sadira from being arrested on countless occasions, and Destane was often on the prowl for more apprentices. He would check the dungeon regularly for younger kids. If Aladdin and Sadira were in there, that would have been it. Aladdin wouldn't have lasted long at all due to his lack of magical powers, whereas Sadira would have been all right, _if _she hadn't acted so stroppy and independant around Destane. He would have killed her in a fit of rage, and Mozen would have died trying to save her, leaving the others in a similar situation as before.  
With Sadira, her existence didn't seem significant until today- if Sadira hadn't existed, the last entrance for the Cave of Trials would have been for Saleen. She would have been eager to help, but then would have escaped the cave, along with Aladdin _and_ Mozenrath (partly because of the soul-link, and partly because she found Mozenrath 'interesting').  
The group now feel more united, and they prepare to set off. Deja asks Mozenrath and Jasmine to hang back, and tells the others to move on. Deja then swings his horn, and Jasmine and Mozenrath find themselves being sucked backwards. Aladdin hears their yells, and comes running back to find Mozenrath and Jasmine, apparently perfectly fine. The three turn and catch up with the others, although Aladdin is suspicious.

**Chapter Twenty: Forgive, Never Forget**

It is revealed that Jasmine and Mozenrath are actually trapped in a sealed cave, and they have been replaced by fake copies. The trial is to see if Aladdin and the others can realize that Jasmine and Mozenrath have been replaced. The real Jasmine and Mozenrath are out of contact in the cave they're stuck in, although they do have a clear bowl of water, showing them what is happening to the others. While Mozenrath searches for a way out, Jasmine watches what the others are doing using the bowl.  
Mozenrath is having no luck with finding a way out, and as far as Jasmine can see, Aladdin hasn't realized she's been replaced with a fake. Mozenrath gives up on looking for a way out, and peers in the bowl. _His _copy has just thrown Xerxes into a wall for being irritating, and Jasmine's copy is making herself comfortable on Aladdin's arm, much to the real Jasmine's fury. Mozenrath then points out to Jasmine how uncomfortable Aladdin looks with this.  
Aladdin, who knows something is wrong, and becomes almost certain of it when Jasmine's copy says "Love you.", (Although it seemed petty, Aladdin felt like there was a difference between "Love you" and "I love you") asks Jasmine why she decided to "wear that purple dress, and not the... o-orange, one I suggested?". When the fake-Jasmine replies with "Aladdin, I am not a doll for you to dress up.", Aladdin's suspicions are confirmed, as he _didn't _pick out Jasmine's clothes (that and Jasmine hasn't got anything orange, and she doesn't actually like the colour), and the real Jasmine is over-joyed- until the fake-Jasmine kisses Aladdin violently until he shoves her off. She storms away, offended. When Cassim and Genie are reproachful about his behaviour, Aladdin explains to them what he has realized, although they don't know what has happened (Genie suspects Jasmine is a vampire, but is obviously proven wrong).  
Although Mozenrath is unimpressed with Genie's fooling, Jasmine reassures him that now that Aladdin _knows _she isn't there, he's sure to notice the blue bead, now hanging from the fake-Jasmine's necklace- once that is removed, the real Jasmine will be restored, and her copy will vanish. The same applies to Mozenrath and his copy, except his copy has a ring on his non-gauntlet hand, with a blue bead on it.  
After being startled by Jasmine when she refers to her pregnant stomach as his future niece or nephew, Mozenrath suddenly yells at Jasmine to get back... Destane is possesing him! Jasmine backs off, but once Destane is in control of Mozenrath, he grabs Jasmine's arms, but she escapes, and holds up a rock to defend herself with. Destane abruptly leaves Mozenrath's body, and Mozenrath falls to the ground, looking so vunerable Jasmine lowers the rock. Mozenrath then tells her that if he's unconcious, Destane can't control him, and so she _should _knock him out with the rock. Jasmine shuts her eyes and raises the rock, and is about to bring it down, but it is to late- Destane gains control, and pulls the rock from Jasmine's hands, before pinning her against the wall by her wrists.  
Whilst this is unfolding, Mozenrath's copy is being horrible to Sadira, refering to her as shallow, as her affections go from Aladdin to someone so similar- his older brother. The fake-Jasmine appears, and tells Sadira that she can have Aladdin, as they are both street-rats, and then goes on to flirt with Mozenrath. Sadira runs into Aladdin, and tells him Mozenrath and Jasmine aren't acting normally. Aladdin realizes that the pair _must _have been replaced when Deja called them back.  
Aladdin then spots the bead on Jasmine's necklace, and pulls it away, causing the real Jasmine to appear. He immediately notices red hand-shaped marks on her wrists, and is furious when he realizes Mozenrath did them, but then Jasmine cries: "_Listen! _Destane came back and possessed him! Mozenrath tried to tell me to run before Destane got to him, but I didn't listen- Destane got him, and forced Mozenrath to attack me, and then- I appeared here. You _have _to help him!"  
Aladdin, realizing his brother is in trouble, Aladdin fights with the fake-Mozenrath until he wrestles the ring from it, making the still-possessed Mozenrath appear, and begin to attack the group. Mozenrath gains control for a second, and wrenches the gauntlet from his hand, making him useless for Destane. Destane however, has no problem with this, and instead forces Mozenrath to grab Aladdin's wrist, so that Destane switches over, and now has power over Aladdin. Luckily, Destane is weak, and cannot possess Aladdin any longer, and leaves, although Mozenrath informs Aladdin that Destane- once he's recovered- can continue with Aladdin's transformation. The group hastily move on.

**Chapter Twenty-One: Greater Lives**

As the group walk, Deja appears, and Genie asks why back when they were looking at what could have been, he hadn't been asked, Deja tells him that genies are immortal, so his existence can't be removed (unless he is killed).  
As Deja is there, Jasmine asks him what the point of the last trial had been, to which Deja explains the group needed to be united and to see how well they know each other. Aladdin says it was obvious, as the fake Jasmine acted more like Saleen than his real wife. For a laugh, Mozenrath asks how the fake Mozenrath and the fake Jasmine were constructed. Deja informs them they were made from fungi before hastily disappearing. Everyone stands back as Aladdin tries to recover from this revolting news, whilst Mozenrath laughs.  
However, Mozenrath stops laughing when Destane appears, and asks what he wants. Destane replies with _"You know that better than anyone." _and sends a beam of green light towards Aladdin. Mozenrath seizes Aladdin's wrist with his gauntlet, but nothing happens, because Destane has disabled the connection, and turns Aladdin back into a lion slowly and painfully, just to torture Mozenrath emotionally (which works), until Aladdin is a lion- light brown like his skin-tone, with a forked tongue, pointed ears, patterns like a leopard and two small horns above his eyebrows. When Mozenrath threatens to turn Destane back into a mamluk if he tries anything again, Destane removes Aladdin's voice, and Mozenrath hits Destane's spirit with some of his power, deterring him for a while. The group move on, but not before Xerxes informs Mozenrath that he can smell something odd. Mozenrath tells the group to keep their guard up.  
Later on, Aladdin saves the group when he realizes the ground ahead is thin, although they didn't understand him at first, as all he could do is growl. Once the group are safe, Aladdin- who can't fit on Carpet- suddenly runs ahead across the thin earth, almost falling through when it crumbled beneath him. Once on safe ground Aladdin- with Genie's help- tells the group that he smelt something, but he didn't know what it was, although he _knew_ he'd come across it before. It is revealed to be a thirdac- a magic-consuming beast! Mozenrath then drops a bombshell- not only are Genie, Carpet and himself in danger, but so is Sadira and Aladdin (as he is under Destane's spell)! Aladdin manages to fend the creature off, but is knocked unconscious briefly when it throws him into a wall. While he is down, the thirdac then attacks Sadira, and removes the spell she put on her clothes, transforming them back into her street-mouse clothes. Before the thirdac can get any closer to her, Mozenrath pulls her to safety and at the same time, Aladdin recovers, and yanks the thirdac back. After Aladdin roars at it, the thirdac becomes afraid of his roar. As the group proceed, Aladdin roars every few minutes to scare the thirdac away.  
Mozenrath- who is at the back of the group- notices Sadira hurrying to stay ahead of him. He yanks her back, and asks her what is wrong. He quickly sums up it is because she agrees with what his fake copy had said. He apologizes for what his fake copy had said, and (once the others are a safe distance ahead) kisses Sadira.

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Finally**

Mozenrath and Sadira catch up with the group who didn't notice their absence. A few seconds later, Destane appears, and tries to persuade Aladdin to kill Mozenrath, but Aladdin refuses. Destane suddenly vanishes- and the group realize it is because the thirdac has returned. It attacks Carpet, and Aladdin slams his side against it- at the same time as Destane creates two large spike, one sticking out from each of Aladdin's shoulder blades, which impales the thirdac, killing it instantly, much to Aladdin's horror. Mozenrath vaporizes the thirdac's corpse to save Aladdin's disgust.  
Deja then shows up, as they have finally reached the blade, which is "very large, pointed, and slightly curved. It was shining black, resembling a large fossilized tooth".  
When approaching it, threads of coloured light appear, attaching the group together. Deja appears, and describes what each thread means: "Each strand represents the connection you have. See the gold ones? That means you're related. That blue one connects you to his familiar, that purple one is related by marriage, and other ones include pink for love or a crush, but not married, black for hate, green for a magical link, orange for friendship and red for completely in love with.".  
Mozenrath picks up the blade, and walks over to Aladdin, whose threads are: a red bond connected him to Jasmine, orange ones to Genie, Sadira, Carpet, Abu and even Iago, two golden ones to Mozenrath and Cassim... Mozenrath had a green one too, due to their soul-link, then one blue one that disappeared into thin air, presumably were Destane's spirit was. However, when Mozenrath raised the blade, Destane's spirit moves, and begins hovering around Jasmine, entangling their bonds... which would remove any romantic feelings they have for one another. They would no longer love each other, or be married and the unborn children they have would be wiped from existence. Mozenrath tosses the blade to Cassim, and shoves Jasmine behind him. When Destane tries to entangle himself with the others, Mozenrath puts them all behind his back- except from Sadira, who ducked into the shadows over the other side of the room without anyone noticing.  
Destane- whose spirit is acting more powerful than ever- slams Mozenrath and the ones he saves behind his back into the wall, with Aladdin, Deja and the hidden Sadira on the other side of the cave. Destane then blasts Deja, who vanishes. Iago yells at Aladdin ( "He got Deja! Al, you're next! RUN!") but it is too late- Aladdin opens his now glowing green eyes, and Destane' voice comes out: "Aladdin is gone."

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Return from Death**

Mozenrath is absolutely horrified with his brother's fate. Destane creates an impenetrable green wall between the group and himself. Mozenrath then spots Sadira on the same side as Aladdin/Destane! Destane then creates a green sphere in front of him which will generate power. Once enough power is generated, Destane's spirit can absorb the energy, and his body will re-generate, as Aladdin keeps fighting to try to gain control. Sadira is suddenly spotted by Destane, and he begins to approach her, saying she would make a nice "snack". Aladdin gains control for a second- just enough time to scream "No!", before Destane overpowers him, and continues to approach Sadira. Mozenrath realizes that Aladdin gains control when his emotions are strong. He turns to Jasmine and says: "Jasmine- listen to me a second; what I'm about to do, will most likely make you despise me forever, but that's a simple sacrifice, and it will hopefully save Aladdin... but if it _doesn't _work out how I plan, would you still care for Aladdin? Even if he looked like me?". Jasmine hesitantly answers yes. Mozenrath waves his gauntlet at Genie, Cassim, Carpet, Abu, Iago and even Xerxes, and they become imprisoned in chains- and they all make a ruckus. Destane hears this and turns. Mozenrath realizes that he had Destane's and thus, Aladdin's attention, pulled Jasmine's back against his chest, like he had done earlier that day, and whispers in a voice that only Jasmine and- thanks to the large ears- Destane/Aladdin could hear: "You don't know how long I've wanted to do this, Princess." Jasmine struggles violently, and Mozenrath swings her around, pinning her against a wall. He then leans in, slowly and deliberately, giving Jasmine enough time to cry out one _single _word: _"Aladdin!"  
_It works: Aladdin's anger clouds over, and he attacks Mozenrath- who seizes his right wrist. The pair switch: Aladdin becomes human, dressed in Mozenrath's clothes, and Mozenrath now looks like a tiger-striped white lion. Aladdin frees the others, and Cassim runs forward and swings the blade, cutting off the bond between Mozenrath and Destane, making Mozenrath turn back into a human. He and Aladdin create the switch again, and they are completely restored to normal- clothes and all.  
They suddenly hear Sadira's cut off scream, and turn to see her being held around her neck by a tall man, with yellowed skin and long, black hair- he was wearing long, brown robes with a hood. His eyes glowed green. His hands were thin and bony. While everyone's backs were turned, Destane had been re-created. Aladdin and Mozenrath rush forward to save Sadira, who Destane releases, before blasting Mozenrath backwards, and sending Aladdin back to the Land of the Black Sand. Destane tells Mozenrath that Aladdin is hooked up to the same machine Mozenrath had been all those years ago- and will become a Mamluk shortly. Deja suddenly appears, having recovered from Destane's blast, Mozenrath vanishes in a blur of blue flames, while Jasmine and the others leap on Carpet and race off to the Land of the Black Sand, leaving Deja all alone on the Island, wondering if they'll succeed in their rescue.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: First Born**

Mozenrath appears in his lab back at the Citadel to find Aladdin struggling, attached to the machine. Mozenrath frees Aladdin, who suddenly remembers Mozenrath's attack on Jasmine, and is about to attack him, when Mozenrath explains why he did it. At that moment, Destane appears, and takes a shot at Mozenrath's gauntlet, turning his right hand _back_ into bone. Aladdin headbutts Destane, who then promises to make Aladdin regret challenging him, whilst staring hard out of the window. Mozenrath teleports himself and Aladdin outside, to see Carpet approaching, loaded with passengers. Mozenrath bellows at them to turn back, when there is a bright flash, and Jasmine suddenly screams- Destane has sped up the pregnancy, and now she's gone into labor! Mozenrath swiftly removes all passengers from Carpet except Jasmine and Sadira, and instructs Carpet to return to Agrabah, and get Jasmine to a hospital. Once at Agrabah, Eden- Genie's girlfriend- appears to help, and ushers Dhandi- her master- Carpet and Sadira out of the room.  
Meanwhile, Destane has suddenly imprisoned the others in the tower room by throwing them into a wall. Literally- the minute their backs impacted against the wall, it absorbed their hands. Destane then sends a spell out of the window, and Mozenrath panics. Destane asks Aladdin how soon he'd like to see his new son or daughter.

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Brothers United**

Over in Agrabah, Jasmine has safely delivered _two _babies- one boy and one girl... she had been pregnant with twins! Eden and Dhandi leave to give Jasmine, Carpet and Sadira space and time with the infants, when Destane's spell swoops in and snatches both babies.  
In the tower, Destane gleefully announces the surprise to Aladdin about his babies, before hitting them with another spell to turn them into teenagers. The girl- now wearing a black and navy blue corset top with a grey skirt and a dark blue hooded cape with plum-coloured wristbands- was the perfect mix of Aladdin and Jasmine. Her eyes were definitely Jasmine's, and her nose was similar to Aladdin's, her hair was too; only longer, and less poofy, but her face was almost Jasmine's, yet not as curved, a bit more angled. The boy on the other hand -who was wearing a navy shirt, black vest, plum belt, black trousers and a cape exactly like his sisters- had Jasmine's nose and face shape, but other than that he looked exactly like Aladdin- his hair was the same, as was his mouth and eyes.  
Destane watches with amusement at the look on Aladdin's face before ordering the children to step aside. Aladdin's son looks at his sister nervously, as she makes it plain she doesn't want to obey Destane's orders, so Destane simply blasts them aside. Aladdin furiously wrenches his hands out of the wall (scratching them up) and lunges at Destane who dodges, and releases the Crystal of Ix that Mozenrath once used to capture Genie. Aladdin asks Mozenrath what it is, loud enough for Destane to hear. While Destane suggests a demonstration, Mozenrath explains what the Crystal of Ix is ("A Crystal of Ix can capture a nearby magical being and can only be controlled _by _a magical being- wait! But you-") and suddenly remembers that Aladdin _knows _what the Crystal of Ix does. While everyone had been distracted, Aladdin had been tugging Mozenrath's right arm, trying to get it out of the wall. When he didn't succeed, he made a grab for the only part of the gauntlet he could reach. The resulting change left Aladdin dressed in Mozenrath's attire, with Mozenrath (still stuck in the wall) wearing Aladdin's street rat clothes. With the gauntlet in his possession, Aladdin uses his street-rat skills to hide in the shadows, and spookily walk into the light in different places in the room, before going back into the shadows and appearing in a different part of the room.  
After his behavior convinces Mozenrath that the dark power of the gauntlet has changed him, Aladdin then convinces Destane that he is considering joining him, and Destane investigates a dark shadow that he believes to be Aladdin, Mozenrath notices Aladdin sneak around the back of the Crystal of Ix at the opposite end of the room. Mozenrath finally wrenches his right hand (returned to normal as Aladdin is wearing the gauntlet). Aladdin mouths _"I'm going to use this to get him."_ (referring to Destane). Mozenrath nods, and mouths back: _"Then throw the gauntlet to me."  
_The plan works: Aladdin utters the word _"Ixtalar", _and the crystal shoots a beam which grabs Destane. Aladdin peels the gauntlet off his bone hand, and throws it to Mozenrath. The minute Mozenrath puts it back on his wrist, they switch back: Aladdin is back in his street-rat attire, and his right hand regrows, and Mozenrath's right hand becomes bone, and he is back in his robes. However, just before Destane is pulled into the Crystal, he grabs Aladdin and pulls him in too.

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Torn**

Mozenrath realizes that Aladdin still had a small amount of magical power in his soul from wearing the gauntlet, and that was enough for him to be pulled into the Crystal. When the Crystal of Ix clears, it shows Aladdin and Destane trapped inside. Mozenrath realizes that he can't let Aladdin out without releasing Destane as well.  
Aladdin sadly accepts his fate, though he struggles to ignore Destane's taunts about how they will now be preserved forever ("We'll be stuck like this forever- never hungry, unless you are now, never getting tired... or old. Can you imagine? We'd be in here, watching as your princess grows older and older, until she eventually...") until Aladdin stands up abruptly, and to annoy Mozenrath, Destane tortures him slightly (punches him in the mouth, then holds a conjured knife to his throat), to try and persuade Mozenrath to let them out, promising that he'd make his death quick, rather than torture Aladdin for eternity.  
Aladdin however, tries to persuade Mozenrath to send the crystal away ("Mozenrath- maybe you'd better send the Crystal away, somewhere no one would ever find it." / "No." / "He's just trying to use me to get to you. You don't have to watch- just go to Agrabah, tell Jasmine... something happened, and then get rid of the crystal."), when Destane stabs him in the stomach, horrifying everyone. Aladdin _still _tries to get Mozenrath to remove the Crystal ("It's f-fine now. I-i'll die... hate him... h-hate... him for... killing me... now ba-banish the c-cryst-tal."), and just before he blacks out, Aladdin says "Torn... Between letting the one you loved die, or letting your greatest enemy die...". None of his friends were sure whether he was talking to himself or Mozenrath. Maybe he meant both.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Opposites**

Aladdin's fingertips are still twitching feebly, but is obviously close to death. After asking to be let out again, not wishing to be beside Aladdin's bloodless corpse for eternity, Destane asks to be let out once more. The stunned Mozenrath replies with: "I almost did. I almost let you out... but, now he's dead... I will _never _let you out. You can stay there forever." Destane had predicted this, so he uses a spell which forces Aladdin's blood _back _into his chest, making him recover in the most painful way possible.  
After briefly controlling Aladdin and trying to get him to release them, Destane is angry at Aladdin, who suddenly asks how Destane's mamluk was brought back to life, Destane laughs and says "Your father's hatred, of course. His fury reminded me why I enjoyed being alive so much.", upsetting Cassim.  
Aladdin then has an idea. He shuts his eyes, and begins muttering under his breath. The group stare as Aladdin's silhouette glows golden, and the Crystal glows white, and sudden images flash past: first of all, blurred flashes of Jasmine blew around inside the Crystal, and Destane grew thinner. Next, images of Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago flickered around, causing Destane's hands to wither. When an image of Cassim hugging Aladdin appears, Destane lets out a screech. Finally, and image of Mozenrath managing a half-smile at Aladdin caused the final blow, and Destane became a mamluk. Aladdin explains: "He said it was hatred that brought him back to life, right? And the opposite of hatred is love. So, I thought about those I loved most, and used the remainder of magic that I had left in my soul to radiate it at him, until he became a mamluk." Mozenrath lets Aladdin out of the Crystal and destroys Destane once and for all.  
After they awkwardly hug, Mozenrath tells Aladdin that he has a plan for what to do with his children: "I can't make them the age they were before. But I can make them both babies again, but only for this day, tomorrow, they will be this age again, and every year on this day, they will return to their true age. But if I turn them back into babies now, you and Jasmine will have time to explain to everyone the situation before tomorrow.".  
After turning the pair back into babies, Mozenrath sends them back to Agrabah. Genie then teleports them all back to Agrabah, not hearing Aladdin's yell of "Genie, no!"

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Still Wanted**

They all land in the corridor next to the throne room, where Aladdin reminds Genie that transporting two of the most wanted men in Agrabah was not the best idea. At that moment, Rasoul stalks around the corner and despite Aladdin's effort to hide them, spots Mozenrath and Cassim, and calls the guards. When Aladdin defends them, Rasoul jokingly asks if Mozenrath is Aladdin's brother. Seeing the look on Aladdin's face and consequently realizing that it is true, Rasoul is furious. Things get worse when the Sultan appears and hears what's happening. Things look bad ( "Your son in law has many interesting family connections- doesn't this mean he is technically the Prince of Thieves and the Duke of the Black Sand! _As well as _the Prince of Agrabah! We never had to worry about the Princess marrying royalty after all!"- Rasoul) until Jasmine herself appears along with Carpet, the two babies, Rajah and Sadira.  
Jasmine has been informed of what had happened from a letter that came along with the babies: it was written by Mozenrath, explaining to Jasmine what had happened after she had left, not including the hug, yet it still included the stabbing and the torture, although the main focus was on the children. Aladdin is irritated by this, especially when Rasoul snatches it, reads it (although he doesn't believe its true) and scrunches it up in a ball, where Genie slyly gives it to Sultan. After Sultan reads it, he is concerned for Aladdin, and decides the children _must_ have a room each. And so they set off in an odd parade: the Sultan led the way with Iago on his shoulder, followed by Jasmine on Carpet with the boy, Aladdin alongside her holding their daughter, with Mozenrath behind him, followed closely by Rasoul ("Look Guard, put hand-cuffs on me, and I'll melt them instantly." Mozenrath had spat at Rasoul when he attempted to do that), restraining Cassim behind them were two other guards, followed by Genie and Sadira. Xerxes and Abu sat on Mozenrath and Aladdin's shoulders (well, Xerxes sort of flopped on Mozenrath's shoulder).  
Aladdin's daughter is very interested in the ruby in Mozenrath's turban, so Xerxes gives it to her. She giggles as she looks through it, distorting the world around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Egos and Jewels**

They find a bedroom for the sleeping baby boy: the room was an exact mirror image of Jasmine's old room ( as she and Aladdin now have their own room in the back of the Palace), only it was on the tower over the other side of the Palace, as the Palace was designed to look symmetrical. Genie created a deep, velvety black/purple/navy theme trimmed with gold for the boys room. The group look upon the baby, and Jasmine and Aladdin name him: as Aladdin had suspected the baby to be a girl, he hadn't thought of any boy names. Jasmine suggests "Ali", which Aladdin agrees to.  
The girl stays in Jasmine's old room, with the theme kept the same. Jasmine allowed Aladdin to name her- he chooses "Ruby", as she is currently observing them all through Mozenrath's ruby, laughing at the results. Jasmine suggests that Rubith (Ruby for short), could be her name, as it was the name of an early Agrabanian Princess. Mozenrath tells Aladdin and Jasmine that he wasn't sure what they'd tell them about the past, so they have fifteen years worth of memories of living in the Palace. They frequently visit the marketplace though, but all they know about your past is that Aladdin was once a street-rat and Jasmine was always a princess.  
As they leave the room, Rasoul attempts to arrest Mozenrath, who then teleports himself, Xerxes, Cassim and Iago away, wishing Aladdin and the others good luck.  
The next morning, Aladdin and Jasmine awaken to their fifteen-year-old kids running around like psychos- or at least, _Rubith_ is. Ali is trying to calm her down (or to put it bluntly, shut her up), but it isn't working. Aladdin and Jasmine learn that she often runs around, stealing things for fun. She's got Jasmine's free spirited, independent side, Aladdin's impulsiveness, fun and adventurous side, thieving skills and agility, and also is very protective of her family, even if she always squabbles with them  
Ali on the other hand is often running around, apologizing to merchants on his sister's behalf, and often has to pay for the things _she_ stole (he doesn't care too much though). He's got Jasmine's compassionate, intelligent, brave and caring side, and Aladdin's kind side. If necessary, he can be just as athletic as his father, although he doesn't often have to be, as he doesn't get into as much trouble as his sister does.  
Rubith then gives her mother Mozenrath's ruby, not knowing where she got it, before her and her brother go to get breakfast.  
Aladdin takes the ruby from Jasmine. Once the children are gone, Aladdin says: "I'd better give it back to Mozenrath. Maybe I can talk to him about... is he _seriously _my brother? Wow. Yesterday was dramatic."

**Chapter Thirty: Hessa Destiny**

Aladdin wanted to set off as soon as possible, but Jasmine made him wait, and eat breakfast with the kids. Rubith started a food fight, which Aladdin used as a distraction. After saying goodbye to Jasmine, he set off, wearing his "fancy" street rat attire (purple vest lined with gold and boots tucked into his trousers).  
When he gets there, he finds Iago, begging to come back to Agrabah, missing Palace comforts, and Mozen(rath) -who decides to drop the name Destane gave him- is busy. He discovers that Destane had drained the people of The Land of the Black Sand of their energy, making most of the mamluks (aside from those Mozen had created, who had been his enemies- or Destane's enemies) innocent villagers. Under Cassim's influence, Mozen had decided to restore the mamluks back (unless they are potentially dangerous) to their human form.  
Mozen explains that the villager's drained energy was stored inside ("Destane was probably trying to become immortal with them. But he obviously didn't research well enough, because it wouldn't work. Dark magic makes you age, and by using _more _power from these crystals, your power would obviously increase, but so would your age."), and that he could transfer the energy back to them. He calls a mamluk in, and one of the crystals glows- this is the one storing the mamluk's energy.  
However, when Mozen restores it to it's original form, they are met with an odd sight: the mamluk was in fact a young, slender girl- about twelve years old, except she had one eye in the middle of her face. And long black hair in the style of an ancient Egyptian. She also was covered in brown fur, and had cat ears. Her eye was green, and had clawed fingers. She reveals that she was an experiment of Destane's: as each different sorcerer's magic is as unique as their DNA, Destane used power from his sister (Mirage) and her then-boyfriend, Phasir the cyclops. She has the powers of Mirage and Phasir combined (i.e: absurdly powerful). The "girl" says her name is Destiny, before dropping _another _bombshell: she actually was made from _four _people's magic, meaning she has TWO forms- her other form was created from a sand witch and a sorcerer living in the near-future, rather than a evil elemental and a prophet from her present time (as she was created a couple of decades before). The other form gos by the name Hessa (which Iago amusedly points out means "Destiny"). Aladdin asks to see her other form, and she obliges.  
When Destiny turns into Hessa, the onlookers are shocked: she was now slightly shorter. Her skin was paler and her hair was curled- much like the man standing beside her. Her eyes were a similar shape to Mozen's too. Unlike Mozen, her eyes were blue, and her hair was a dusty blonde colour. A small pigtail hung in a Sadira-fashion next to her eye.  
Iago hesitantly asks if the sorcerer and the sand witch's names were Mozen and Sadira. Hessa ironically replies with: "Yup. Lucky things don't know I exist!", before awkwardly realizing that Mozen is standing beside her. Upon realizing he is interested in magic, Hessa shows Mozen a silver ring on her right finger- it had four circular, smooth, red jewels on it. Mozen- who had abandoned the search for it years ago- is speechless. Xerxes informs them that it is the Genie of the Ring. Iago finds this _very _funny ("What- lemme see if I got this right. You used spend all ya time, tryna capture our annoyingly blue buddy, when all along, one of your Mamluks was wearing one on its finger for the world to see?").  
Mozen allows Hessa to stay in a spare room, before abruptly leaving the room. Cassim- who had entered the room a little while ago- tells her: "He'll come around. It must be awkward to discover that you've had a sort-of child, all ready growing up."  
Aladdin stiffens, and says he has to leave now. When Cassim asks him if he's ok, Aladdin replies: "Yes, I'm fine. I should just be back at Agrabah right now." He, Carpet and Iago all fly out of the window to Agrabah.

**Chapter Thirty-One: Black and Gold**

Sadira- who is back at her underground home making soup- can't stop thinking about Mozen. An inquisitive sand-worm that inhabited the sandy floor pops up and begins to talk to Sadira. Once realizing what is wrong (that she is in love with a man who was "a psycho until yesterday", who also happens to be the older brother of her previous crush), the worm muses over the fact that Mozen has powers over _black _sand, whilst muttering "Black and gold..." before having to leave. Sadira sings to herself, and hundreds more sand-worms pop up having realized the meaning of the song ("That was beautiful!" "Why are you still here?" "Go! You need to go find him!" "We love you!"). Sadira then plucks up the courage to go and see Mozen, but the worms stop her, as she is dressed as a street-rat.  
They dress Sadira up in a light, mint-green dress. It was simple, but pretty. The dress was off-the shoulders and had long-sleeves, which flared at the wrists. The dress itself was long and straight, and the top half was a slightly lighter shade of green, and was similar to a corset, laced up at the front by silver threads. The shoes were silver, curled-toed slippers. Her hair was silky smooth, loose down her back. Nestled in her hair on the right side was a white rose, tinted mint-green at the tips of its petals. Sadira is so thankful, she tips the soup she just made onto the sand, which the worms happily eat.  
Just then, Hessa appears (trying to match-make, as she wants real parents) and offers to take Sadira to the Land of the Black Sand. Sadira agrees. Hessa teleports them to the gates, and leaves Sadira to walk up to the Citadel, which she nervously does, after Hessa explains that the city has been removed of Mamluks, and now has people in it.  
As Sadira walks, the villagers watch her in awe: "Who is she?" "She's beautiful!" "Is she the queen we've been waiting for?" "She can't be real..." until she reaches the Citadel. Mozen walks out, and greets her rudely after being informed by Xerxes that a witch has entered the land. Once he recognizes Sadira however, he hesitantly remarks on her beauty, before inviting her inside, which she accepts. When she isn't looking, Mozen irritably takes a shot at Hessa upon realizing her "match-making" plan, as she had been victory dancing out in the street a few feet away (obviously not hurting her- just knocking her onto her back).

**Epilogue**

Saleen laughed as she moulded the glowing white foam before her. "Have they forgotten about me, Armond?" She laughed. "Well, let them forget me. I haven't forgotten them."

Armond looked grumpy.

"And now, Armand, Saleen may walk the streets of Agrabah, through another." Saleen laughed, as she continued to mould the person before her out of sea foam.

_It is from here you continue :)_


	2. Lucky Rat

Lucky Rat

Saleen swum back a stroke or two to admire her work. Armand stared at the glowing white foam, unsure what to make of it.

"Isn't it wonderful, Armand?" Saleen said in a mischievous tone. Armand tilted his head to one side, totally confused. Saleen sighed impatiently. "I'm moulding a person, _look_." She pointed to the vague head and shoulders at the top of the foam.

Armand hesitantly swam up to the foam, and pulled at the foam on either side, creating arms.

"Yes I know!" Saleen said, even more impatiently. "I'm getting there!"

* * *

Over in the city of Agrabah, in the beautiful marble Palace, a girl who looked roughly fifteen, was sneaking down a deserted corridor. She had black hair which if she brushed, would be long and glossy, probably able to reach halfway down her back. However, she stubbornly refused to brush her hair, as it meant sitting still for too long, so her hair was a scraggly black mess, pulled into a ponytail. Her hair was very similar to her father's, except where his had strands gently flopping into his eyes all the time, her hair was straight, and the tips ruffled and spiky.

Her eyes were like her mother's- large, and very beautiful. If she lowered her eyelashes, her eyes could appear to be very seductive, but her eyes were nearly always _wide_ open, and matching that with her wide grin, gave the girl a wild and slightly crazed look.  
Her nose, face shape and mouth were exact combinations of both her mother and father's. Her nose and face resembled her mother's, only they were more angular like her fathers. Her mouth was like her mother's, but her grin was wider and her lips thinner- like her father's.  
She wore red harem trousers, and a red halter-neck top that showed her flat stomach- toned well due to her active lifestyle. On her left upper arm, the girl had a gold band, which had a small hoop on it. The girl had a chain woven through that hoop, threaded down her arm, where the other end wrapped around her wrist. Not many people knew this was her own invention- a chain which seemed magnetic to riches- once the girl pressed treasure (the literal kind, not metaphorical) against it, she could usually find some way to fasten it to the chain.

"Shut up!" Rubith hissed at the small red parrot on her shoulder.

"Look, you may be the big-shot 'round here, but there are _some_ of us, that Rasoul wouldn't mind beheading!" Iago hissed back.

"I'll handle it." Ruby said airily. She leant her head around the corner, where a small-ish guard was guarding a door. Ruby peered at the chain on her arm. All that was hanging from it at the moment was six small amethysts. Ruby picked one off, and flicked it right down the other side of the corridor, where it bounced down the corridor, making little _ding_ing noises as it went, naturally catching the guard's attention.

"Uh?" He muttered, plodding over to investigate. While he bent over to pick it up, Rubith crept up behind his backside, her knees bent slightly so he wouldn't see her. The guard stood upright, peering at the amethyst, before plodding over to the the door and opening it, all the while not knowing Rubith was creeping along behind him. He threw the amethyst inside and closed the door, but not before Rubith snuck in, Iago on her shoulder.

"And we enter _my _domain! Whoo!" Rubith clapped her hands and spun around on the spot. They were in the middle of the Palace's treasury.

Iago lunged for a jewel, but Rubith grabbed his tail and held him up, his eyes at her level. "What are you doing?" She grinned. "That one's booby-trapped.

"How do you know?" Iago retorted.

Rubith laughed. "Iago, you of _all _people- birds, should know that! I've been breaking in here since I was five, remember? I think I know where the traps are." She placed him on her shoulder.

Iago ducked his head so Rubith couldn't see his face- he knew something she didn't. Rubith and her twin brother Ali had only been alive a month. Prior to that, their mother, Jasmine, had only just begun to show signs of pregnancy.  
The day she planned to tell her husband Aladdin, they were whisked on an adventure that started when one of Aladdin's former enemies, Mozenrath, joined forces with him after discovering that he and Aladdin were brothers, and that Mozenrath's (until recently) half-dead ex-master was bent on revenge. The day ended with Aladdin destroying Destane, but not before he cursed Jasmine's unborn children.

Rubith and Ali had been born way too early as Destane sped up their lives until they were fifteen years old to torment their father and uncle. Mozenrath had fixed the problem slightly by giving them fifteen year's worth of very simple memories of just living in the Palace and visiting the Marketplace. Aladdin and Jasmine had learned what they could about their children from their behaviour, and by subtly asking questions. It was plain that Rubith had a love for thievery, and Ali was more of a peace-keeper.

"Now, what do we want today?" Rubith picked up something orange. "Hey Iago, look!" She held up the large orange jewel- shaped like a large egg. "Cool! This'll look great in my room."

"Why do you steal all this? You never buy anything. Besides, you could just ask for anything out of here any time you want."

"Ah, my dear Iago, that would just be boring."

"But what are you doing them all?"

"Decoration for my room!" Rubith said. "These larger jewels are kept in bowls placed here and there, my bathtub it coated in tiny smooth pebbles, and the smaller ones I make into jewellery or I add to my chain. Oh- and duh. The gold I may use to buy stuff."

"Wow." Iago muttered. He flinched when Rubith spun around quickly to face him. She grinned.

"My dear Iago, what will be your order today?" Rubith said, in a shop-keeper sort of fashion. "Oh!" She mock clapped her hands to her face. "I has just the thing!"  
She picked up a large gold amulet with a shortened chain, and placed it around Iago's neck. She then clasped several gold bangles around each of Iago's legs, and gave him a small brown bag, filled with coins and general loot.

Iago's jaw dropped. "The princess of Agrabah... a thief?" He muttered.

Rubith heard him. "Of course not! You can't steal from yourself! I'm basically looting my own piggy-bank."

"Big piggy-bank..." Iago said in awe.

"I _know! _I'm so lucky, lucky lucky lucky, whoo!" Rubith squealed, then froze. "Rasoul will be up here soon. Scat time!" She put Iago on her shoulder, scooped up a small armful of coins and ran outside- straight into her brother Ali.

"Argh!" Ali, Rubith and Iago yelped as they tumbled over.

Ali was almost the exact opposite of his sister. His hair was exactly the same as Aladdin's, and so were his eyes and mouth. His face and nose however, were the same as his mother's.

He wore deep bluey-purple trousers (which were nowhere near as poofy as his sister's- like Aladdin's white "Prince Ali" trousers) with brown, curly-toed boots tucked into them. At the top of these, he had a cummerbund with purple and light blue stripes going across it diagonally.  
His shirt was light blue and loose-fitting, the neckline was wide and low enough to just about show his collar bones. The sleeves cut-off just above hi elbows, and in the centre of the neckline, there was a tiny "V" shape cut into it. Over the top of this he wore a deep blue version of Aladdin's purple waistcoat-thing.

Ali groaned and forced himself upright into a sitting position, and looked at the coins that Rubith had dropped all over his lap. He glared at Rubith, who was in a crouching position, gathering up her spoils.

"What is this? What are you _doing?"_ He hissed, holding up a small handful of coins.

"Those are coins." Rubith said, nodding to the coins in his hands. "And _I _am making a quick getaway."

There was suddenly the sound of loud footsteps from the corridor behind Ali. Rubith stared over Ali's shoulder at the growing shadow that was coming up the corridor.

"A getaway that needs to be faster, bye!" She turned and fled with most of her loot, minus the gold coins Ali held, with Iago flying hastily after her.

"Hey!" Ali called, staring from Rubith's disappearing figure to the coins he held.

"Well, well..." Said a horrible voice from behind. Ali reluctantly turned to see Rasoul standing behind him. Rasoul hauled Ali roughly to his feet by one arm. "Been stealing from the treasury room _again,_ Lucky?"

"Lucky" was Rasoul's nickname for Ali- it was short for "Lucky Rat". Firstly, it was a reference to how good Ali was at worming his way out of 'trouble' (or more correctly, his sister's trouble that Rasoul often blamed him for), and it was secondly a reference to how, despite begin of royal blood, Rasoul still believed Ali should be out on the street, due to how he looked uncannily like his father, and he was simply lucky to be born into the Palace.

"No Rasoul," Ali yanked his arm out of Rasoul's massive fist. "I didn't steal anything- I never have."

"Then what's _this?"_ Rasoul grabbed the coins. Ali sighed.

"Rubith dropped them."

"So you're blaming the princess?"

"Yes- but only because I know you're not going to punish her." Ali said with forced calm.

"That treasure is technically hers for the taking." Rasoul pointed out.

"That makes it equally mine!" Ali said, outraged. He turned and began to walk away, but Rasoul grabbed his shoulder, wanting to aggravate him more.

"Do you know what happened whenever something bad happened around here?" Rasoul hissed, smiling. "Your cowardly father went and hid, whilst the other guards and myself fought bravely to keep the princesses and you safe- is this the thanks we get? You stealing from us?"

Ali swung around, wrenching Rasoul's hand from his shoulder. "And do you know what?" He shouted, "I don't believe you. You're nothing but a coward hiding inside your large body, afraid of everything remotely bigger than you."

Rasoul slowly reached forward and grabbed Ali's hair, lifting him off of his feet. Ali grabbed at his roots, glaring as hard as he could at Rasoul, neither of them noticing a third figure approaching.

"Is that really what you believe, Lucky Rat?" Rasoul hissed. All he could see was Aladdin's eyes glaring at him from underneath Aladdin's hair.

"My father is not a coward." Ali said, glaring back at Rasoul.

"You belong on the street with your father." Rasoul snarled.

"Rasoul!" Aladdin suddenly appeared after hearing Ali shouting, looking furious. "Put him down!"

Rasoul looked smug. "I'm afraid you can't order me around street-rat. Only royalty can. Come back when you've got one of your superiors, the princesses, and get _her_ to request something."

"You're forgetting that you are currently holding the prince of Agrabah, who _can_ order you around." Aladdin was shaking slightly with anger.

Rasoul pressed his forehead against Ali's. "You heard the Street-rat. Say the words." He snarled.

Ali wrinkled his nose. "Rasoul, go brush your teeth."

Rasoul through Ali to the ground and stalked away. Ali waited until Rasoul was out of sight before massaging his scalp.

"Picking a fight with Rasoul?" Aladdin sighed. Ali looked up at his father from floor height.

"No. I didn't do anything wrong."

"What was all the shouting about then?" Aladdin asked, helping Ali to his feet.

"If there's one person in the world who can make me angry, it's _him."_ Ali groaned. "Always going on and _on _about how 'heroic' he was, and how 'cowardly' you were. Lies."

Aladdin nodded slowly. "Has this got anything to do with Rubith?" He asked, gesturing to the floor, which was sprinkled with the coins.

"Yep." Ali said grumpily. "Of course, Rasoul accused _me_ of stealing. What is his problem? He always acts like he only has to protect Mother, Ruby and Sultan! I'm of royal blood too- why does he act like we are just a couple of street-rats?"

"Because I am." Aladdin said absently.

"I know you used to live on the streets, but you and Mother married, so you're technically a prince now! Even so, what about me?"

"You do look a lot like me you know."

"Not _that _much." Ali muttered.

Aladdin laughed. "There's no point getting worked up over it, just ignore that moron." Aladdin playfully grabbed Ali and gave him a noogie.


	3. The Plan

Please don't kill me for taking so long to update :S

* * *

The Plan

Saleen swam backwards, smiling. She had made the figure of a mermaid girl about fifteen years old, except she was completely white all over, like a blank papier-mâché waiting to be painted, except she had no hair.

Saleen scooped up a large quantity of foam, shoved it roughly onto the girl's head, and pushed her limp form over to Armand.

"Knock yourself out!" Saleen smiled darkly. "Create her hair- though make it nice and long. Just mould a nice style."

Armand gleefully patted and tugged the foam, until he had created a hairstyle: side parting, with her fringe all over on the left side. Her fringe was separate from the rest of her hair, growing upwards, then arching over to hang beside her left eye, curling at the end above her left chest.

The rest of the hair was extremely wavy, and reached right down her back- long enough for her to sit on.

Her tail was long, and similar to a dolphin's, only the tail-fin was shaped like a fish's, with a see-through bit of skin joining the two separate parts together. The girl's tail was light green at the top,and faded to ocean blue at the bottom.

"Well done Armand!" Saleen sang, pirouetting on the spot. "Now," Saleen continued, "Time to colour her in." Saleen glanced at herself. "Maybe we should clothe her slightly first."

Saleen swam down and scooped up two turquoise clam-shells, the tops _all_ mermaids seem to wear, and placed them on the appropriate place on the girl's body.

"Now let's give her my pale skin." Saleen sent a stream of magic at the girl, where it swirled around her. Soon, the girl's skin became pale- hardly changing from the white of the sea-foam. Saleen then looked at her make-up, sitting on a sunken vanity.

"Armand, pass the lip-stain." She commanded. Armand handed her the small shell. Saleen peered in and sniffed. "I seem to be running out... oh well, let's work with what we've got."

Saleen dabbed the remaining drip of lip-stain on the girl's top lip, before it ran out, leaving the girl with a pale-pink top lip, and an invisible bottom lip. "Never mind." Saleen sighed.

"I've going to give her my hair and eye-colour." Saleen informed Armand, as she made a tossing motion with her hand, and at once, the girl's hair blossomed into Saleen's colour, although her eyes remained shut.

Saleen silently mused over the clothing the girl could have, whilst scooping up a perfume-like bottle. Saleen smiled devilishly at Armand's questioning glance.

Saleen held the bottle out towards the girl, and it began to glow. "It's the hairs I swiped from Aladdin and his followers." She cackled. "It's taken me a month to edit them until they were right- now, I only have included the information I need! From the day Aladdin first met his precious princess, to the day we caught up with him, I have it all!"

_(She doesn't really have it ALL. That would be awkward. She has everything WE'VE seen from the Aladdin movies and television series, except for some of the bad-guy monologues, as Saleen only got memories from Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Iago, Cassim, Sadira, Mozenrath, Xerxes and Cassim)_

Armand stared at her.

"Don't you see?" Saleen continued. "These hairs all contain carefully selected memories. If I were to give them to _her,"_ Saleen pointed at the girl, "She would know everything about Aladdin and his friends, making her unbeatable."

Armand still looked blankly at her. Saleen sighed, and swam over to him.

"It's time I told you my plan." Saleen said, taking a deep breath of salty sea.

"I can't be seen up in Agrabah for obvious reasons." Saleen said clearly. "So I decided to create a copy of myself- a girl who had all my knowledge, and would behave like myself. I intend to turn the tables on Aladdin- this time, it'll be _me_ doing the fishing, and _she"_ Saleen pointed to the girl, "is the bait."

Armand stared at Saleen as she began muttering, waving her hands at the girl, eyes closed, when the girl sucked in a huge gasp, and her brown eyes opened in alarm.

Saleen slowly plucked a hair from her own head, and held it out towards the girl. The girl yelped as Saleen's hair disappeared into her curly mass of hair.

"That hurt." The girl said, rubbing her head. Armand stared quizzically at Saleen.

"She does _not_ have a funny accent." Saleen hissed back. "It's "Bwitish" or something like that. Goody-two-fins Cousin-Triton picked it up from the surface. I didn't want to admit that it sounded pretty good."

"I _can_ hear you." The girl said. Saleen stared sideways at her.

"What do you remember?" She asked.

The girl frowned. "I have all of _your _memories." She commented. "Wow- that's really incredible. I know how to do all of _your _spells." She looked around, and twirled her finger at a dormant looking starfish, causing it to glow.

"Okay... so you know my plan?" Saleen asked.

"Of course I do silly- but I need those other hairs if you will." The girl replied, in a tone of voice, very similar to Saleen's.

Saleen smiled at Armand, before holding out the other hair/feather/fur/scale and tassel out to the girl, each of them fusing to the girl's hair and vanishing.

Armand blinked in confusion as the girl's hair became a darker shade of red.

"Well, Aladdin, Mozenrath, Aladdin's father, the Princess and the Genie all have dark hair." Sadira pointed out. "It was bound to have an effect on her."

The girl was now eyeing Saleen almost apprehensively. Saleen however, didn't notice this as she turned to the girl with a smile.

"I have decided to name you Urchin." Saleen smiled. "Do you know why?"

"Yes." Urchin replied, as though she was being forced to. "Because an urchin is a small, round creature from the sea that has a hard shell, covered with sharp points- a deceptive shell, but an urchin can also be a young child or teenager that is dirty and poorly dressed- a beggar. Aladdin was often referred to as an urchin. You want me to appear to be on the same level as Aladdin, yet I am still- deep down, inside my protective shell- a deceptive creature from the sea."

Saleen clapped her hands happily. "That's right!" She laughed. "But your name and appearance won't be enough to lure Aladdin down to the sea." Saleen looked thoughtful. "I have some powers and abilities to give you."

"Because your powers won't work for me without water?"

"Exactly. So- hair. It's always fascinated me and Armand- an exceptional part of humans and creatures alike. I have powers related to your hair that I am able to give you." Saleen smiled. Urchin looked apprehensive. Saleen pointed at Urchin's hair, which then began to thrash around like Urchin was in the middle of a violent sea-storm. When Urchin's hair had ceased thrashing, Saleen laughed.

"Urchin honey- look at your hair!" Saleen said, still laughing. Urchin stared at her hair in shock. Her hair was _alive-_she could control it, like each individual hair was a long, thin finger. Urchin waved her hair around experimentally. Saleen placed her hands on Urchin's shoulders. "Now listen to me darling, this is important. Whenever your hair touches a liquid, you have the ability to project an image from any of the memories you have into that liquid. Understand?"

Urchin looked puzzled. "I think so..." She concentrated for a few seconds, and her hair suddenly was alive like Urchin had a static electricity problem. Tiny glowing blue dots shot down from the root of every hair down to the tips, until the water around them seemed to show the slightly blurred face of Aladdin seeing Jasmine for the first time.

"Exactly!" Saleen laughed and clapped her hands. She suddenly glared at Urchin, who was staring at Aladdin's face like she had never seen anything like it before. Saleen roughly grabbed her arm. "And in case you have any ideas about running off with Aladdin..." She said in a dark voice, "You must return here in a month, or you will turn back into sea foam, got it?"

Urchin squeaked slightly as her left upper arm burned slightly. When Urchin looked at her arm, there was a strange tattoo on it- blue lines that went right around the arm like a permanant bangle. The lines were like blue brackets turned on their sides, but Urchin knew what they were. They were waves.

"No, some final things to add," Saleen continued, still in a dark tone, "I _have _added two more abilities. When you stare at the moon or your reflection, you can communicate with me, and if all else fails, kiss Aladdin on the lips, and you will both be instantly transported to me, got it?"

Urchin nodded and was about to swim away, when Saleen grabbed a handful of her hair.

"You're of ocean blood." Saleen whispered, releasing Urchin's hair. "Nothing more, nothing less. Now get going- your time is washing away." Urchin began frantically swimming towards the beach.


	4. The Journey

The Journey

Urchin hauled herself onto the beach, and onto a rock. With a wave of her hand, the salty water dripped away, revealing her human form, and the outfit Saleen had chosen for her. Urchin groaned in disgust.

The turquoise sea-shells she was already wearing were still there, but they had been placed over a light-blue fabric that was supposed to to substitute for a shirt, except Saleen had made it cut off at the base of Urchin's ribs. For bottoms, Urchin wore loose green leggings that cut off above her knees, and a light blue piece of fabric was sewn on around the top of the leggings.

Urchin wriggled her bare toes. Saleen was so unpractical- how was Urchin supposed to get all the way to AGRABAH, across a desert, in this clothing?

Urchin leapt out of her skin when Saleen stuck her head up out of the sea. Saleen smiled.

"Just a double-check honey." Saleen said. "What powers do you have?"

"Powers over water, the ability to talk, create and sometimes control creatures of the sea. I am able to show memories once my hair comes into contact with liquid. My hair is as alive, and I can move it however I want. If I stare at my reflection long enough, I can communicate with you, and lastly, the kiss." Urchin recited nervously.

"Don't forget your beauty and an excellent singing voice apparently that sort of thing works." Saleen shrugged. "Oh, one more thing..." She held up something.

"What is that?" Urchin said suspiciously. It was a large jewel of some sort- it was green and shaped like a large, stretched tear-drop. It was hanging from what looked like a large, golden bangle.

"Come here." Saleen said sweetly. Urchin stood still on the rock.

"What is it?" Urchin asked again.

"I said come _here._" Saleen snarled, all sweetness gone. The tattoo on Urchin's arm glowed blue, and Urchin reluctantly stepped forward. Saleen looped the bangle over Urchin's head so it looked like a necklace. Urchin made her hair untuck itself from the bangle, while Saleen positioned the green jewel so that it slotted between her two seashells, and sealed it in place.

Urchin stiffened and tugged on the bangle around her neck while Saleen added more tattoos like the one on Urchin's left arm to Urchin's right foot and around her belly button.

"Mother- this bangle necklace thing won't come off, and it's really uncomfortable..." Urchin moaned, tugging on the bangle.

"I know." Saleen said. "That's the point. Now, you can't take that necklace off without taking your whole top off."

Urchin's draw dropped.

"Make sure you get back before a month has passed- when the sun has reached the centre of the sky, you will become sea again! Bye honey!" Saleen cheerfully dove back into the sea, leaving a shocked Urchin to walk carefully across the rocks to the beach.

* * *

"Oh," Urchin breathed fearfully. "What will I _do?_!" She was close to tears.  
"It had been absolutely fine when I was just given _Saleen's_ memories. Going to drag Aladdin down to the sea? No problem. It could have even been fun." Urchin swallowed.  
"B-but... once I was given the _other _memories... Aladdin's been through so much with Jasmine, nothing could split those two up! I don't _want _to... they deserve to be happy together. How can she still want to jeopardize that?"

Urchin began walking across the desert, thinking desperately. If she tried to warn Aladdin, Saleen would turn her back to water in an instant...

* * *

By nightfall, Urchin was exhausted. She glanced up, and saw Agrabah in the distance. She let out a shaky breath. No more walking at least... but now, she had to make the decision.

As she neared the city, she sang in an quiet voice to calm herself down:

_"Ohh, Agrabah...  
Ohh Agrabah..._

_Going to a city, that is as beautiful as painted scenes  
Noise is always loud, there is magic all around and the streets can be mean  
If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere, that's what they say_

_Really, it isn't all it seems, especially since I got a pocketful of fears  
Yet, I'm still going to Agrabah...  
Sandy jungle where dreams can be made up  
There's nothing you can't do  
Now you're in Agrabah  
These streets will make you feel brand new  
Beautiful sites to inspire you  
Let's hear it for Agrabah, Agrabah, Agrabaaah!"_

Urchin walked slowly into the city and glanced around at the empty streets, lit up in starlight.

"_One hand in the air for this city,  
Star-light shining, big dreams all looking pretty  
No place in the world that can compare  
Throw your fears in the air, everybody say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_In Agrabah  
Sandy jungle where dreams are made of  
There's nothing I can't do  
Now I'm in Agrabah  
These streets will making me feel brand new  
Beautiful sights to inspire me  
Let's hear it for Agrabah, Agrabah, Agrabaaah!"_

Urchin stood still at the entrance to the Palace, and searched around for a way to get up. Beside her sat a water barrel.

"Perfect." Urchin muttered dully. With a point of her finger, the water rose out of the barrel, forming a flat platform. "Just like Carpet," Urchin thought, then regretted it. Aladdin's friends weren't going to let her drag him away. That's a point: _Genie._

Genie would recognise her as Saleen's daughter straight away, wouldn't he? Urchin shivered. Avoid the semi-phenomenal nearly-cosmic genie.

Urchin stepped carefully onto the platform, and made it rise up. She rose towards the Palace, when her arms began shivering. Exhaustion. She was so tired, it was taking a toll on her powers...

The platform began to falter as she was flying past a random Palace balcony, and she began to fall.


	5. Anomaly

Anomaly

Urchin let out what could only be called a squeal of fear as she began to plummet down. She managed to grab the edge of the balcony quickly while she had the chance.

Urchin fought to hold onto the balcony, but her hand was slipping on the _stupid_ marble surface. She heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps just as she lost her grip.

Before Urchin could even draw breath to scream, something seized her left wrist. Urchin looked up: leaning over the edge was a boy. He was leaning over quite far, holding onto the marble railing with his left hand and struggling to hold Urchin's weight with his right arm. His eyes were wide, and he looked slightly panicked.

_Of course he is, _Urchin reminded herself. _A random girl falling off the sky could be kinda scary. That, and the fact he was almost falling with her._

"Just hold on!" The boy shouted. He turned his head back slightly. "Dad! Mother! Oh for the- _Ruby! Someone!" _Nobody heard him.

The boy turned his gaze back to Urchin.

Urchin stared at the boy with confusion. Who was he? He looked like Aladdin- or at least, he had his hair, at least.

And Aladdin's eyes. Yep, those were definitely Aladdin's eyes. Yet... he looked _younger- _his face didn't resemble Aladdin's... and now Urchin thought about it, neither did his nose.

His voice sounded similar to Aladdin's... a little more like the tone his voice adopted when singing, but still...

"Aladdin?" Urchin said uncertainly. The boy's expression didn't show any signs of recognition, only puzzlement. Apparently he had never heard the name before.

Weird.

The boy- still gripping onto Urchin's wrist- threw himself backwards, which yanked Urchin up too.

"Whoa!" They both cried out as they toppled onto the balcony. Urchin was sprawled on top of the boy. She stood up quickly, and watched as he got shakily to his feet, staring at her.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Urchin broke eye-contact for a second and looked over the edge of the balcony.

"Oh cod." She muttered. The water she had been using to fly around had vanished. She turned back to the boy. "I'll use the front gate, bye."

Urchin began to hastily walk away, but the boy grabbed her arm.

"Hey wait a minute!"

Urchin reluctantly turned back to face him. He stared at her, and raised his palms.

"Would you mind telling me what you were _doing?"_

"Er..." Urchin put one finger to her lip. "I... I-I would mind actually. I'm just gonna use the door now, bye!" Urchin tried to run away again, but he grabbed her arm again.

"_Hey!" _He said again. "Who are you?"

"I'm Urchin, and I _really _need to get out of here. Trust me- I don't even wanna be here."

"I'm Ali," The boy said, not loosening his grip on her arm. "and why don't you want to be here?" Urchin opened her mouth to shout out another lame excuse, when a woman's voice called in from outside:

"Ali? Is Rubith in there?"

Urchin stiffened. "I need to _hide!"_ She hissed. Ali shoved her behind some drapes, which created a makeshift room.

"Hang on one second Mother!" He called, closing the curtain.

Urchin quickly glanced around the space she was in. It was empty, except for a large bathtub, filled with water.

"Yes Mother?" Ali said, opening his bedroom door.

"Rubith isn't in here is she?" The woman walked into the room, and Urchin stiffened, peering through a gap in the curtains.

_The woman was Jasmine. _Urchin staggered back. _That can not be possible!_

"No Mother, she was out in the Marketplace..." Ali continued.

"Oh, but it's so late! I'd better get your Father..."

"Mother, wait, there's something-"

"I'm sorry Ali, I need to go! Can we talk about it later?" Jasmine looked desperate. Ali glanced back at the curtains, then back to his mother, and nodded. Jasmine looked relieved, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

The second Jasmine left the room, Ali closed the door and stalked over to the drapes and yanked them aside.

"That's your _mother?" _Urchin cried before he could speak. He looked bemused, but nodded. "But that's not possible!"

"... Why not?" Ali looked completely confused now.

"She... she was pregnant only a month ago!" Urchin gasped. Ali didn't look confused anymore- just afraid for Urchin's sanity. Urchin breathed deeply.

"How old are you? And how old is your mother?" She said finally.

"Er... I'm fifteen, and... and... I don't know how old Mother is- or Dad, as that's obviously your next question."

"How long have you lived here?" Urchin said, staring straight at Ali.

"Fifteen years!" Ali said defensively. "I was born here in the Palace, I grew up here, me, Rubith, Ahmahl, we all did-"

Urchin sifted through her memories, Rubith turned up blank, and Ahmahl was familiar... _"Who?"_

"My twin sister and my little brother-"

_"What?" _Urchin's shriek sounded through her hands, which were covering her mouth._ "There's more of you?"_

"You making us sound like some mutant creatures or something-"

"But... you can't exist! That's not normal, like an... an _anomaly _in nature or something!"

Ali stared at Urchin blankly. "Thanks. I must say- you're insane. I should... get the guards-"

"No... no, I need to make you understand..." Urchin sat on the edge of the bathtub rubbing her temples, while Ali gripped onto the edge of the curtains, in a fight-or-flight stance.

"Okay," Urchin said slowly. "My sources tell me that Jasmine-"

"Who?" Ali looked puzzled.

"Your mother? Her name is Jasmine... didn't you know that?" Urchin said in surprise.

"No..." Ali looked thoughtful. "We were never told... what about Dad?"

"His name is... A-aladdin." Urchin swallowed. The name sounded funny in her voice.

Ali didn't notice. "Huh." He said. He looked interested now, loosing the fight/flight stance. "Continue."

"Okay, my sources say that Jasmine- your Mother, was pregnant a month ago. She wasn't very far into the pregnancy, the bump was barely showing- probably only twenty-two weeks pregnant."

"So she should still be pregnant?" Ali's brows furrowed.

"Exactly!" Urchin said. "So... did you guys notice? You and your siblings?" Urchin frowned.

"No... I never noticed her being pregnant... and what are your _sources?" _Ali asked suddenly.

"Er..." Urchin twiddled her fingers nervously. "I... kinda have... memories."

"What?"

"I've been given the memories of Aladdin, Jasmine... er, Abu, Genie, Iago... Carpet, Cassim, Sadira, Xerxes, Mozenrath-"

"You mean my Uncle Mozen?" Ali interjected.

"Um... yeah. I guess so. Are you and your Uncle on speaking terms then?"

"Yeah of course, why wouldn't we be?" Ali asked, then frowned. "I mean, we don't meet very often, both him and Grandfather are wanted, so Dad has to organise meetings in secret."

"Oh." Urchin looked thoughtful. Aladdin and Mozenrath had _nearly_ started getting along at the time Saleen stole the memories in the water cave. As the day went on they could have started getting along better...

"Wait a minute!" Ali said suddenly. "Memories?"

"Um... yes. I have their memories from the past three years."

"How?" Ali said, eyes widening.

"I... can't tell you. WAIT!" Urchin suddenly shouted. "According to my memories, your mother met Aladdin when she was fifteen. She turned sixteen a few days later... her and your father explored the world and stuff for a year and a bit... your mother had to have been at least eighteen when she and your father married... I estimated it... she's nineteen."

"That... th-that can't be right!" Ali gasped. "Look, Ahmahl... he's an orphan my parents adopted about three weeks ago, he's four years old, Rubith and I are fifteen! It... cannot be..."

"I don't know... in my memories there's no mention of kids until Jasmine's pregnancy a month ago!"

"I am _not_ a month old! You're lying about having memories, right?" Ali walked towards Urchin furiously. Urchin stood up and staggered backwards... into the bathtub. The splash seemed to shock away Ali's brief anger. "Are you all right?"

Urchin nodded, and tried to struggle out of the bath, when the water swarmed over her, holding her down. "Is there salt in here?" She asked weakly.

Ali nodded. "Yes, it cleans the tub. Why?" Urchin shuddered as she shifted back into mermaid form. Ali staggered backwards, eyes wide. "You... you're a...ahh."

_"Shh!"_ Urchin hissed. "Please don't let anyone know!"

_"What?" _Ali gasped in a panicked whisper.

"Look, I was sent here by... someone, to... no, I can't tell you." Urchin hid her face behind her hands.

"To do what? And by who?" Ali asked. Urchin didn't move her hands, just shook her head. "Can you tell me _anything?" _Ali rubbed the back of his neck, his wide eyes still staring at Urchin's tail.

"I... I can show you!" Urchin said suddenly. Then, as if suspended by invisible cords, her hair raised up like snakes. Ali backed up as Urchin's hair plunged into the bathtub around her. At once, the surface of the bath was lit up by images. Ali walked hesitantly forwards, and peered in.

In about four seconds, he saw four days worth of images flash by. From Jafar first locating the Cave of Wonders (seen because Iago was there) right up until the Sultan changed the law, allowing the princess to choose who to marry.

Ali yelped and staggered back when the memories ended. His back hit the wall, and he slid down it, his fingers in his hair, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry!" Urchin struggled to climb out of the bath, but having a mermaid tail made this impossible. Ali focused on her.

"That was vivid. So there was a bit more to things then a Princess falling in love with a Street-rat then?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Diamond in the Rough, a law, theivery, a sorceror, lies and deception, magic and genies..."

"Oh, that."

"I'm never looking at a snake the same way again." Ali said, struggling to his feet. "Is there... more?" Urchin nodded. Ali swallowed, and stepped forward.


	6. Discovery

Discovery

After an hour and a bit, Urchin had shown Ali a (nearly) complete run through of the last three years- mainly following from Aladdin's point of view, but switching when necessary.

"And it cuts off there?" Ali asked.

"Yes. It only goes up to the point when... Saleen stole the... memories." Urchin mumbled.

"So that's why you're here? Saleen sent you." Ali asked, frowning. Urchin nodded glumly, avoiding Ali's glare.

"She wanted me to get your father down to the water." Urchin said sadly.

"Don't do it." Ali said at once, as Urchin showed brief images from Saleen's plan down in the sea (skipping over some parts that were unnecessary).

"I don't want to." Urchin whispered, tears lacing the edge of her voice.

"You'll... really turn into sea foam? Saleen would do that? To her own daughter?" Ali looked appalled.

"I do have a month." Urchin pointed out. Ali's eyelids were drooping slightly.

"We'll have to think of something." Ali blinked slowly again.

"It's late..." Urchin said. "Maybe you should go to bed. I'm not going anywhere." Ali was too tired to do anything else, so he nodded, and sleepily wandered through the drapes to his bed.

Urchin lay down in the bathtub, and slept.

* * *

The next morning, Ali came into the bathroom, looking brighter. Urchin struggled to sit up without letting water slosh out over the sides of the bath.

"I would appreciate it if you'd help me out of this bath." Urchin called.

"No can do- I need you to stay there until I've decided whose side you're on." Ali said cheerfully. Urchin made a growling noise under her breath.

"I would rather be in my human form. You realize all I end up wearing in this form is these seashells and this stupid bangle necklace? It's not nice. I'd rather have legs and my skimpy shorts, thank you."

Ali looked at her. "You know, that jewel thing looks uncomfortable."

"It is." Urchin grumbled.

"Unlucky for you." Ali sniggered. Urchin made a jet of water soak his hair. Ali shook water droplets from his head, then stared down at Urchin. "Any theories on how old I am?"

"From the way you're acting, I can actually believe you're a month old." Urchin muttered.

"Oh ha-ha, comedian."

"Your godfather is a genie. Don't call _me_ a comedian." Urchin replied. Ali didn't seem to hear her. Urchin paused. "You aren't angry at your parents, are you?"

"If they are my parents." Ali replied without thinking. "No- that was a stupid thing to say."

"You're definitely their son. Trust me." Urchin said, staring at Ali's face closely. He squirmed.

"Please can you stop staring at me?"

"Sorry. You just look so much like them. It's strange." Urchin grinned. Ali rolled his eyes, and walked to the far side of the bathroom, when Urchin heard a quiet gasp. She stretched her neck up to look over her tail to the door.

Standing in the doorway, was a small boy. Urchin felt a jolt as not only was the boy staring directly at her, she recognized him too.

It was the boy Jasmine had given the apple to the first time she had escaped the Palace.

"Ali..." Urchin called, not taking her eyes off of the boy. Ali spun around.

"Ahmahl, it's okay..." Ali said soothingly, walking slowly towards the boy. _Aladdin and Jasmine adopted him? I wonder if they recognized him..._ Urchin thought.

Before Ali reached Ahmahl, another voice sounded.

"Hey Ali, the 'rentals are going out today so we're all alone-" Rubith walked into the bathroom behind Ahmahl, then froze.

"AHH!" She shrieked, seizing Ahmahl around the middle and lifting her leg to shield him from Urchin. "OH MY GOSH! AHH! WHAT IS THAT? _DA-_"

Ali shot across the room, and covered Rubith's mouth with one hand. He looked at Urchin. "This is bad." He muttered.

"Massive uh-oh." Urchin agreed. Rubith let out a muffled shriek.

"Okay, don't freak out-" Ali began, when Rubith yanked her head away.

"Oh, I'm already freaked out Ali, _why_ do you have a mutant fish in your bath?"

"Hey!" Urchin called, offended. Ali frowned at Rubith.

"Harsh, Ruby." He muttered.

"Harsh _but true." _Rubith retorted.

"Hey!" Urchin called again, even more offended. Ahmahl wriggled free from Rubith's grip, and walked over to Urchin.

"Ahmahl! Get back here!" Rubith made a grab for her younger brother. Ahmahl ducked under Rubith's hands and tiptoed over to the tub, staring at Urchin's blue and green tail.

"Ali? Do you recognize him?" Urchin asked excitedly. Ali frowned.

"Yeah, he's my brother."

"No, remember how Aladdin and Jasmine met?"

"Yeah, Dad saved her from a merchant after- _oh boy." _Ali stared at Ahmahl.

"Oh don't mind me." Rubith muttered. "I don't need to understand what's happening at all."

"Urchin..." Ali muttered. "Show her."

"But... Ali-" Urchin began, looking fearful.

"Please." Ali said. Urchin swallowed and nodded. Ali hauled Rubith over to the bathtub, where Rubith reflexively looked in.

With both Rubith and Ahmahl's attention grasped, Urchin let the memories flow. Rubith and Ahmahl gasped, staring at Urchin transfixed as the memories formed at the roots of her hair and travelled down her hair into the bath.

Urchin managed to show the memories much faster this time- she also added in her brief conversations with Ali, so she wouldn't have to re-discuss them with Ahmahl and Rubith, and in half an hour, Rubith and Ahmahl were staring at Ali, wide-eyed. Ali however, was staring at Urchin.

"I saw... more that time." He said slowly.

"I f-forgot." Urchin said. "The first time I showed you I kept skipping bits that I thought would shock you."

"Like Jafar kis- eurgh." Ali shuddered. "I can't even say it." Rubith stared into space.

"Ali..." She said, speaking in a quiet voice- which was unusual for her. So unusual in fact, Ali didn't even realize it had been Rubith who had spoken and stared at Urchin expectantly for a moment, until Rubith continued. "What are we?"

"What?" Ahmahl asked.

"I mean... Mother... Jasmine, was pregnant with us only a month ago. What happened? How did we turn fifteen in a month?" Rubith said. She was whispering again.

Ali frowned, and held up one finger. "Hang on a second." He said, biting his lip. Rubith turned her head to watch him anxiously, hands tightly gripping Ahmahl's shoulders. After a few seconds, Ali's eyes rolled up into his head and he fell to the ground.

"Ali!" Rubith yelped. She and Ahmahl fell to their knees beside him. "Wake up!"

Urchin hauled herself out of the bath, her tail slapping painfully against the ground. She crawled over to Ali, who appeared to be unconscious. Urchin raised a small blob of water up from the bathtub and washed it over Ali's face.

Ali's eyes snapped open, and Urchin withdrew the water. Ali blinked twice, and his eyes flashed green for a split second.

"Destane..." He muttered.

"What?" Urchin and Rubith said together.

"Who is he? He... argh." Ali sat up rubbing his head.

"What did you do?" Rubith snapped furiously, though it was obvious she was just worried. Ali placed one hand over his forehead.

"I just tried to remember." He muttered.

"And?" Urchin asked. "Can you remember anything?"

"No... not really." Ali murmered. "The memories... us growing up in the palace... I can't focus on them. They're too blurry. The only clear ones are all from the past month. And a weird one... who is Destane?" Ali repeated his question.

Urchin frowned. "Mozenrath's old master."

"Yeah, uncle Mozen!" Rubith said, then froze. "He... he's a psycho!"

"Was." Ahmahl muttered.

"Regardless..." Rubith said. Urchin frowned.

"I've got an idea." Urchin muttered. The three siblings looked at her. "If you can get one of your parent's hairs, I can turn it into a thread of memories..."

"And discover what happened a month ago?" Ali asked. Urchin nodded.

"Issue: the 'rentals are out. We're stuck waiting for the day." Rubith reminded them.

"Well, we'll just have to wait." Ali said.

"So- what did happen? When you tried to remember?" Rubith asked.

"Well... it was weird. Thinking back, the earliest memory that's actually clear is the day you found that weird ruby in your room, remember it?"

"Yeah- I still have no idea where that came from..."

"Anyway, then I remembered someone called Destane... except I can't focus on his face. It hurts too much. Then even earlier, I... I think I remember being born."

"Eww, really?" Rubith asked, looking disgusted.

"Well, only a bit. It was blurry." Ali's brows furrowed. "If I try to remember more, my head starts hurting."

"And you collapse on the floor like a loser." Rubith folded her arms, grinning.

"Ha-ha." Ali muttered, rubbing his temples. "Don't try it. It really hurts."

"Yeah, I won't. I'm not stupid. So I guess we'll just have to wait until our parents get back..." Rubith said. "I'm gonna go steal something. Buh-bye." She turned and walked out.

"Klepto." Ali muttered. Ahmahl slowly followed Rubith out of the room. Once they were gone, Ali looked down at Urchin, who was still a mermaid on the ground. "Comfortable down there?"

"Nope." Urchin waved her hand, which removed all of the saltwater droplets from her skin, allowing her to turn back into a human and stood up. Ali blinked a couple of times as she shook her long russet hair. When Urchin looked at him, he glanced away, embarrassed, and cleared his throat.

"So, what exactly are you gonna do?" Ali asked. "About Saleen and that?"

"No idea..." Urchin looked back at the surface of the saltwater. After about ten seconds of staring at it, Urchin thought she saw a ripple pass across it.

"Huh?" She gasped, and knelt beside the bathtub and peered in.

"What?" Ali asked.

"I thought I saw something..." Urchin whispered.

"It's probably nothing..." Ali said, bending over the tub. "But what are you going to do?"

Urchin still stared hard at the water, waiting for another ripple. "I don't know. Saleen wants-" Urchin cut off and gasped.

At the word "Saleen", the bathtub began to bubble and froth. Urchin and Ali backed up a couple of steps.

"What did you do?" Ali asked.

"I... I've made a water-window!"

"A what?"

"A water window- you know when Jasmine was trapped in Saleen's ocean, and she could see visions of Agrabah in some water?"

"Yeah..." Ali said after a moment, remembering those events.

"That's what I've done! I've made a water window... linking to Saleen!"

"Saleen? Oh, a fine choice." Ali muttered as the water cleared. Urchin shoved him to the floor. "Hey! What-?"

"_Get down!" _She hissed, then she straightened up and gave a false smile into the water window. "Oh, hi mother! How are you?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing? How did you create a water window? I never taught you that." Saleen's voice filled the room, teeming with suspicion. Ali's eyes widened. _Saleen is in my room, _he found himself thinking. _What if she can get through the water window? Who knows what she'll do to my father?_

"Oh, it was an accident. But useful- I can keep you updated." Urchin pointed out. Saleen looked around.

"You're in the Palace?"

"Yes- in an empty room. Aladdin went out today, so yeah..."

"Just spy on him using a water window. You'll be able to see _exactly _what he is doing." Saleen said simply. "I'll expect another update once you have done that, okay honey? Oh- by the way, I forgot to tell you: every full moon, I have the ability to- ahem, _influence _you."

"_What?_"

"Through those lovely tattoos." Saleen smiled. "I won't be able to control you- just request that you do what I want."

"... oh." Urchin said.

"Don't get distracted. Or else..." Saleen said menacingly. Urchin gasped and raised her right hand to her face- at least, it _had _been her right hand.

Saleen had turned it to foam. Ali mad a move to get up off the floor, but Urchin shook her head.

"Mother- mother please!" Urchin sobbed. Saleen rolled her eyes.

"Water will heal you, silly." She laughed. Urchin hesitantly dipped her hand into the bath, where her hand quickly re-formed itself. Urchin sighed in relief. Saleen coughed, snatching her attention. "Remember, spy on Aladdin, and then report back." Urchin nodded.

Seemingly satisfied, Saleen closed the water window and vanished. Urchin sat down heavily on the floor, rubbing her right hand. Ali hesitantly crawled over.

"Are you all right?" He asked. Urchin nodded silently, wide eyes still focusing on her hand.

"I can't believe she did that..." Urchin whispered.

"She's twisted..." Ali muttered. "She'll force you into anything..."

A tear slid down Urchin's cheek, and she closed her eyes slowly.


	7. Mashed Up Within

Mashed-Up Within

Wherever Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago were, they weren't near any water, so spying on them was impossible. At least, that's what Ali tried to say.

"You have water in your eyes." Urchin pointed out, as Ali sat down on his bed, placed his hands either side of him and stared at the floor in front of him. Urchin sat down beside him daintily but hastily and put her hand on one of Ali's. "But don't worry- Saleen's checking out what Aladdin's doing, so we don't have to."

"Don't _worry?"_ Ali said in disbelief, turning his head to look at her. "So right now, Saleen could climb through the water window-"

"No, she can't do that." Urchin cut him off.

"Genie's head stuck through that time!" Ali contradicted.

"Genie also has semi-phenomanal nearly cosmic powers."

"Fine, you win. I still don't like the idea of Saleen spying on my Father." Ali muttered. "Whose eyes would she stare out from?"

"Jasmine's probably. So she can see Aladdin looking at her _lovingly_ for once." Urchin said bitterly.

"I really don't like the way you just said 'lovingly'." Ali muttered.

"What? Oh- '_Lovingly'." _Urchin mimicked her own sneering tone.

"Ugh." Ali shuddered.

"_Lovingly." _Urchin repeated, grinning.

"Shh!" Ali laughed, putting his hand over her mouth.

Urchin's muffled giggles tailed off as she and Ali's eyes met. Ali removed his hand from her lips and slid it across Urchin's cheek, leaving it to rest against the nape of her neck. Ali paused for a second, then took his hand away and looked at the door literally a millisecond before Rubith burst in, Ahmahl close behind.

"Ali- I've been thinking." Rubith said, walking in quickly and shutting the door behind her. "How the heck are we alive?"

"Well-" Ali began.

"I mean, I know Mother was pregnant with us only a month ago, but how has the whole of Agrabah accepted us? I mean, I've never noticed before, but we're always getting stared at. I just thought they were checking that we didn't steal anything-"

"Which in your case, is likely to be very true." Ali interrupted.

"-but now I know it's because they know something's up." Rubith continued, ignoring her brother. "I mean... according to the mutant fish-"

"Hey!" Ali said. "Quit calling her that."

"-fine, girl with mermaid tail, our parents met when Mother was fifteen... I think." Rubith looked at Urchin.

"Yes- she had three days until her sixteenth birthday. Aladdin was around sixteen or seventeen." Urchin agreed.

"Yeah... so, the 'rentals got engaged the day before Mother's sixteenth birthday..." Rubith lent against a wall and stared at the ceiling.

_"So? _What's your point?" Ali said impatiently.

"I'm just trying to work out how old our parents are- chill, okay?" Rubith snapped.

"I dunno, late twenties?" Ali said.

"Hang on... how long did they do their whole "I'm off to see the world/world's most_ insane_ road-trip" thingy?" Rubith asked.

"What's a road-trip? Never mind, it's something Genie told you isn't it? Anyway... uh, I don't know." Ali frowned.

"A year and a bit." Ahmahl said. Everyone stared at him.

"How do you know?" Rubith asked.

"Well... when Abis Mal gave Mother that blue rose... she said it was the anniversary of her and Father's first date- but he couldn't remember, so she wasn't speaking to him." Ahmahl said timidly.

"Which is completely harsh." Rubith said. "I mean, straight after their first date, Dad got jumped by the guards, chained up, gagged, listened to Jafar issue the order to kill him, hit over the head and knocked unconscious, followed closely by being tied to a weight, thrown off of a cliff into the sea, struggling against his chains for a bit before passing out from lack of oxygen and finally being saved by Genie. I wouldn't remember much after that either."

There was a silence.

"When you put it like that, yes, she was being kinda harsh." Ali grinned. "Carry on Ahmahl."

"So, if that was a year after their first date... Mother was nearly seventeen." Ahmahl said.

"And then they went on loads of other crazy adventures..." Rubith continued.

"So, by the time they got married, Mother had to be eighteen, and Dad was around nineteen or twenty." Ali finished. "We've already had this conversation."

They all stared at each other.

"But... guys, that was only... I mean, the day Dad and Mozenrath found out they were brothers was three months after the wedding." Rubith said, her voice raising a pitch or two, much like Aladdin's does when he's outraged (or shocked).

"We don't know what happened later that day, but by the next day you guys were fifteen years ago- that was a month ago." Urchin said.

"I was adopted two weeks ago." Ahmahl added quietly.

"Urchin's right." Ali said. "The past month's memories have been much clearer than any of the others." He frowned. "Rubith- before last month... all those memories before... they're just so... blurry. Simple. No feeling to them- just like someone imagined them."

"Yeah. But... mashed up in the middle is Destane." Rubith said. Her eyes turned green for a second, and she clutched her temples.

Everyone else backed up.

"Don't do that!" Ali yelled. He grabbed Rubith's shoulders and shook her. She blinked, and her eyes became normal.

"Hey-! What the-? Let go!" She tugged herself free and glared at Ali.

"Look- don't try and remember the Destane thing. It just makes your head hurt- and your eyes go... green. It's really freaky." Ali reasoned.

"Hey- I didn't pass out like you did." Rubith grinned. Ali opened his mouth to argue, but froze.

"Pass out... Destane- _Oh boy!" _Ali stood up quickly.

"What now?" Rubith asked.

"Mozenrath's old master-!"

"Was _Destane! _Oh no!" Rubith stood up too. "You mean that _monster _who used to beat up our Uncle as a kid... Mirage's _brother, _is the one bothering us?"

"Okay, this just isn't funny any more- we _have _to talk to someone- our parents, or..." Ali tailed off at the expression on Rubith's face.

"Are you _crazy? No!" _She gasped. "Hey Dad, guess what: over the past day and night, we now have memorized the last three years of your life - which I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason for not telling us about – because Saleen, a great enemy of yours, has sent one of her spawn out of the sea; Dad, to hunt you down, seduce you, drag you back to the sea, do _horrible _things to you, whilst simultaneously tearing our lives _a-part. NO Ali, NO! That is NOT how we do things!"_

"OH-KAY!" Ali yelled back, placing both hands on Rubith's shoulders. "Breathe..."

Rubith breathed in slowly, fanning her face. Tears appeared in her eyes. "Ali, what if... what if Destane did something horrible to us, that we can't remember? Dad and Mozenrath's eyes turned green when Destane possessed them... oh-" Rubith let out a sob/squeak. "What if he can possess us? _Now?"_

Ali wrapped his arms around her. "No, no- he can't. He would have done it sooner if he could. Made us go after Dad or Mozen for him."

"Hey..." Urchin said quietly. Rubith and Ali didn't break apart, they just turned to look at her. Ahmahl looked too. "If you guys could get a hair off of your parents, I could filter it, and find out what happened that day."

The three kids nodded slowly in agreement.

"When are they getting back?" Ahmahl said, thinking wistfully of his mother.

"Sorry- I have no idea." Rubith shrugged. "Probably late at night."

"Oh, that reminds me- Ali," Urchin said. "You... kinda yelled last night. Like you were having a nightmare or something."

"Oh, I did?" Ali looked away quickly and shrugged. "I didn't know."


	8. Their Embrace

This chapter seems to come off as slightly morbid, huh? Sorry 'bout that, I was writing the first part of the chapter at around... 12:00PM-2:30AM one night :S  
Never mind :D Just tell me what you think

* * *

Their Embrace

Everyone went to bed later that night (except Urchin of course, who went to Ali's bath instead), because Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago hadn't come back yet. Ali accompanied Rubith and Ahmahl to their bedrooms as they still felt uneasy about Destane.

Unfortunately for Ali, Rasoul was on the prowl. Ali rounded a corner sleepily to see a large shadow before him.

"Lucky Rat- out for a stroll in the moonlight, are we?" Rasoul snarled gleefully.

"Ohhh..." Ali groaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "Rasoul, can we not do this now? I'm tired." Ali tried to step around him, but Rasoul shifted over, blocking his path, twirling his sword so that it glinted in the moonlight.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Lucky." Rasoul grinned down at the weak Ali.

"Enlighten me. What _am _I up to, all knowing Rasoul?" Ali snapped. He was too tired to dodge Rasoul's right arm, which seized the front of Ali's shirt.

"Heading for the Royal Treasury." Rasoul said, nearly nose-to-nose with Ali.

"The Royal Treasure is about ten rooms and one corridor _behind _me, Rasoul." Ali retorted.

"You know exactly where it is, huh? You could be carrying loot back to your room." Rasoul hissed, raising his right arm to lift Ali high into the air, chuckling nastily at the expression on Ali's face as he suddenly realised how vulnerable he was- he was being raised so high that if Aladdin were to walk past, Ali could have stood on his shoulders. Ali struggled.

"Put me down!"

"I don't take orders from street-rats." Rasoul growled.

"Well, lucky for you I'm _not _a street-rat, I'm the Prince of this City. _Put me down." _Ali said irritably.

"No." Rasoul grinned smugly. "No witnesses to clarify that I'm disobeying your direct orders, you could easily be lying because you hate me so much."

"And you wonder why I hate you." Ali said as calmly as he could, not letting Rasoul see that he felt weaker. "Put me down."

Rasoul just laughed. "Trip down to the dungeons, perhaps, little prince?"

"_What?"_ Ali gasped, unfortunately sounding uncannily like his father, which made Rasoul laugh more. _"No-!" _Ali tried to cry out, and struggled violently, but Rasoul lowered his arm, and repositioned Ali: Rasoul used one muscular arm to pin Ali's arms to the prince's sides, whilst also pinning Ali's back against his own massive chest, and used his other hand to cover Ali's mouth, Rasoul carried him away.

Ali tried to calm himself down, but it was hard, because the truth is, he was afraid of dungeons. Every single night for the past month (_So every night of my life,_ Ali thought bitterly), he had dreamt of being stuck in a dungeon. His worst nightmare: the darkness, the cold stone, the small space and the chains holding him captive, preventing him from escaping the shadowy creature that was pacing the dungeon quickly, up and down, gradually getting closer to him before it would suddenly lunge at him, jolting him awake.

The only person who knew about these nightmares was Jasmine, who Ali confided in after Aladdin kept asking him if he was okay- the nightmares had left him constantly tired from jolting awake every few seconds.

It's what Urchin had mentioned earlier.

Ali struggled again- surely Rasoul was joking? This was a cruel trick, he wouldn't _actually_ throw Ali in the dungeon, would he?

_No!_ He tried to shout through Rasoul's hand. Rasoul just laughed, not knowing how terrified Ali was- as far as Rasoul was concerned, he was simply getting his own back on Aladdin. Just a slight smaller and not-so-strong version of the street-rat.

Ali silently pleaded that his parents would come home and help him: _Please... PLEASE!_ He didn't care that they had lied to him- or at least, not told him the truth about their past- right now, he just wanted them.

Rasoul finally reached the dungeon. Ali tried kicking him, but it was no good; Rasoul had thrown him to the ground.

Ali gasped and rolled over on the floor just outside the dungeon door, winded. Rasoul looked at a large hourglass, strapped to the wall.

"The street-rat won't be coming back for another four hours." Rasoul grinned down at Ali. "So I'll set this for three hours."

He slid what appeared to be small shelves out of the hourglass, causing the sand to sprinkle down. Rasoul indicated to a line partway up the glass.

"That's when I let you out." He leered, grabbing Ali's arm and hauling him over to the dungeon door.

"_No!" _Ali tried to shout, but it came out as a whisper. Rasoul dragged him inside and chained him up- not in the patch of light from the window where his father had been chained up once upon a time, oh no- in the dark corner where Jafar had lurked whilst in his disguise.

"NO!" Ali yelled, as Rasoul locked his small wrists into the solid shackle that was attached to the wall, making any movement impossible. Ali continued to yell, until Rasoul tore a piece of fabric from his turban, shoving it into Ali's mouth.

"I'll be back in three hours." Rasoul hissed cheerfully. "Maybe then you'll be feeling more gracious towards me." Rasoul got up to leave. "I'll expect an apology from you, otherwise, I may have to do this again."

_I'm sorry! Let me out! _Ali tried to scream through the gag, as the door closed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago had all arrived back early: the village they went to save wasn't in as much trouble as they had thought- the fire-breathing frog was actually a harmless illusion, made by a grumpy old man who wanted to be left alone, so they didn't need to stay as long as expected.

Everyone was tired, but Aladdin "had to check on something", and Carpet and Genie volunteered to go with him. Once everyone else was in bed, Aladdin sprinted down the corridors to Ali's room.

Ali was nowhere to be found, since he was only fifty-seven minutes into his three hours in the dungeon.

"He's gone." Aladdin said, looking around.

Urchin heard this, and quickly levitated the water in the bath, so that it lifted her up to the ceiling, moments before Aladdin ran into the bathroom (luckily, he didn't look up).

"Oh no." Aladdin breathed, and ran out of Ali's room, into Carpet and Genie.

"Al? What's the big hurry?" Genie asked, concerned.

"It's Ali- something's up." Aladdin said. Carpet mimed _What?_

"He's really scared- I can't explain how I know, I just do, but Ali's afraid, I don't know why." Aladdin looked worried. "Rasoul's supposed to be patrolling this corridor tonight."

"D'ya think that something's happened to them?" Genie asked.

"I think Rasoul's done something to Ali." Aladdin corrected. Genie smacked himself in the face.

"I know you two don't get on, but-" Genie began, but Aladdin silenced him with a stare.

"Carpet, come with me. Genie: bring Jasmine here." Aladdin commanded, jumping on Carpet. Genie vanished, whilst Aladdin commanded Carpet to go to the dungeons. Carpet hurtled down the corridors towards the dungeon, but he stopped so suddenly, Aladdin nearly fell off.

"Carpet." He said angrily. "What-" Then he stopped, because they were facing Rasoul. Carpet rose higher slightly, so Aladdin's head was just above Rasoul's.

Aladdin shook himself. "Where's Ali?" He shouted.

"What are you doing back so soon?" Rasoul spluttered.

"Does it matter? _Where is the Prince of Agrabah?"_ Aladdin snarled. Rasoul shrugged. Aladdin stared deep into Rasoul's dark eyes.

"I don't-"

"He's in the dungeon, isn't he?" Aladdin said, cutting across Rasoul in a deadly calm voice.

"No." Rasoul lied. Badly. Aladdin clenched his jaw.

"You monster." He said, his voice raising. He punched Rasoul in the face as hard as he could. "Carpet, keep him here." Aladdin commanded, leaping off of Carpet lightly, watching as the enchanted rug flew over to the stumbling guard, making sure he didn't leave.

Aladdin turned and sprinted towards the dungeon door.

* * *

Ali's eyes were tightly closed to stop any more tears leaking down his face, as he couldn't wipe them away. His arms were aching already from being held above his head for so long, the gag in his mouth tasted of sweat from Rasoul's head, and the entire bottom half of his body: from his toes to the bottom of his ribcage was completely numb from the cold stone. It was dark, and even if he did open his eyes, Ali wouldn't have seen anything: the moon hadn't risen tonight.

He let his eyes open slightly, for he had just heard something. A rattle, of chains or the like. Ali turned his head slowly to the right, and felt his heart stop.

The shadowy creature was pacing the dungeon.

It would see him, any second now...

It paced up and down, until it suddenly turned and saw him.

Ali let out a scream no one could hear as it lunged towards him. Ali struggled frantically against his restraints as the creature seized him. Ali closed his eyes and flinched, waiting for the pain to sink in.

Instead, an orange flicker sparked through his eyelids. Despite himself, Ali opened his eyes...

… and immediately jumped as he saw a face so close to his own, lit up by a flickering lamp.

"Ali?" Aladdin asked, his voice shaking. Aladdin reached forward and pulled the cloth from Ali's mouth. Ali let out a husky gasp, and breathed in a small, rattling breath.

Aladdin retrieved a lock-pick from his vest and freed his son. Aladdin stared in horror at the cuts around his older son's wrists, as Ali had fought to get free.

"What happened?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"_Rasoul..." _Ali tried to say, but it came out as a drawn out hiss. He gave a wet cough and tried again. "Rasoul wouldn't let me go into my room." Ali whispered through dry lips. "He said I'd been stealing, so he picked me up..." Ali coughed again. "I told him to put me down, but he doesn't take orders from street-rats." Ali muttered.

Aladdin stared at him in shock as Ali continued:

"I told him that I was the prince, so he had to put me down... and he said "No". No- he wasn't going to do what I'd said. Then he said he was going to take me to the dungeon. I tried to yell, but he... covered my mouth and held me still. He was really strong- and then he took me to the dungeons." Ali suddenly became conscious of the tears on his face. He rubbed them away quickly.

Aladdin hugged Ali, who yelped quietly. "What?" Aladdin said.

"My ribs hurt." Ali muttered.

"Please tell me Rasoul had nothing to do with that." Aladdin said in disbelief.

"Rasoul had nothing to do with that." Ali whispered unconvincingly. Aladdin stared hard at him. "Okay." Ali muttered. "He threw me on the floor outside the dungeon while he set the hourglass- that's probably when they began to hurt. Happy?"

"NO!" Aladdin snapped. "I'm not happy- that hourglass was set for three hours!"

"I know." Ali shuddered. Aladdin wrapped his arms around Ali's upper torso to avoid the bruised areas.

"And you've been having those nightmares." Aladdin pointed out.

"How-?"

"Your mother told me." Aladdin said grimly. "At least you know now _I _was the shadowy thing."

Just then, Carpet appeared, along with Genie. Aladdin loaded the weak Ali onto Carpet. "Where's Rasoul?" He hissed to Genie.

"In the Guards' rooms. Sultan's going to speak to him tomorrow." Genie replied.

As Carpet carried Aladdin and Ali down the corridor, Genie bent down beside Aladdin.

"What happened to Jr?" He muttered to Aladdin. "His wrists- and look at his face! A bruise across his jaw, a split lip..."

"Rasoul chained him up in the dungeons." Aladdin muttered under his breath. Genie looked angry. He stared down at his Godson, who was now near-unconscious. "Where's Jasmine?"

"Waiting to talk to you in your room." Genie responded. Aladdin nodded quietly.

* * *

After putting Ali in his room, Aladdin went to his room to find Jasmine sitting cross-legged on the bed, stroking Rajah's head. She was wearing her pink pajamas.

"Aladdin." She said, as he entered. Rajah got up and left the room, leaving Aladdin to sit beside Jasmine. "What happened? That_ 'thing you had to do'_ was to go and pick a fight with _Rasoul?" _She said, furiously.

"But- you don't know what he did!" Aladdin protested, outraged. "He-"

"Yes, I know he and Ali had a disagreement Aladdin, but-"

"A _disagreement? _He locked Ali in the dungeon!"

_"What?" _Jasmine snapped.

"Rasoul threw Ali into the dungeon!"

"Are... are you sure?" Jasmine said, uncertainly. Aladdin nodded.

"Yes- look, I had a bad feeling, so I went to Ali's room, but he was gone, and I knew Rasoul was supposed to be patrolling at the time but he was nowhere in sight, so I went looking for him. Carpet found Rasoul..." Aladdin looked angry again. "He was very surprised to see me back so soon."

Jasmine patted his arm. "Look, I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding - a prank that just went a little too far-"

"Oh no." Aladdin cut her off. "Ali said Rasoul was accusing him of _stealing_ from the Royal Treasury, even though it technically belongs to him anyway, then hauled him off to the dungeons."

Jasmine sat back slightly. "Really?" Aladdin nodded. "Was he all right?"

"When I found him, he looked awful." Aladdin said. Jasmine stood up.

"I need to talk to him." She said, pulling on her clear pink-tinted dressing gown. Aladdin got up.

"I'm coming too."

Jasmine nodded. They walked together in the moonlight.

"What's going to happen?" Aladdin asked.

"About Rasoul? Father will speak with him tomorrow. I think he'll just be in trouble- he's worked for so long at the Palace, he's not going anywhere." Jasmine said.

"But-"

"Listen Aladdin, I know you and Rasoul don't get along-"

"I get along better with dark sorcerers."

"Only if they're related to you. _Anyway,_ Rasoul is very loyal to the Royal Family, even if you and him-"

"And Ali. He treats Ali like he treats me- even worse sometimes, just because he looks like me, and is not as..."

"Intolerant as you?" Jasmine supplied. "But Ali does appear to go out of his way to aggravate Rasoul-"

"No he doesn't!"

"Aladdin, hanging around outside the treasury at night and punching Rasoul in the face _really_ don't help his case-"

"What? Jazz, _I'm _the one who hit Rasoul, not Ali!" Aladdin protested. Jasmine stared at him for a moment.

"Please don't do that again." She said, sternly. "He wasn't aware of Ali's fear of dungeons-"

"Oh, and that makes it all better."

"I know, I'm furious with him too! But- let's not argue about this, let's just make sure they avoid each other as much as possible." Jasmine said in a calming voice, putting her hand on Aladdin's shoulder. He stopped for a second, and shook himself, smiling.

"Of all the things to argue about, we picked Rasoul."

* * *

The two approached Ali's room. Aladdin paused when Ali's bedroom door, looking at Jasmine. She sighed and opened it instead.

They saw Ali standing in front of his mirror (which was just a large rectangle with a decorated border on a stand, rather than the princess's vanity) with his back to the door. He was only wearing loose grey pants, which he normally wore to bed.

Ali turned slightly to look at the left side of his torso, and a small rush of air escaped his mouth in shock. He stared at his left side, frozen, for just a moment, before turning around to look at his right side.

From where they were standing, Aladdin and Jasmine knew that Ali's right side was fine. However, his left side was bruised heavily.

Aladdin winced and Jasmine gasped, causing Ali to whirl around.

"Mother, Father- I-I'm sorry!" He seized a nearby shirt (dark lavender) and tugged it on. "I didn't hear you knock."

"That's because we didn't... sorry." Aladdin said.

"Oh." Ali rubbed the back of his neck for a second, caught sight of the marks on his wrist, and quickly tugged his sleeves down to hide both of them. "Er- that's fine. What's up?"

"We just wanted to check on you. Here-" Jasmine walked over to her son- he and Rubith both were both slightly shorter than Jasmine, but not by much. Jasmine tried to look at Ali's wrists, but he moved them away

"No, it's fine Mother, really. I'm kinda tired, so I might just- oh, okay-___Mother!" _Ali flinched as Jasmine firstly yanked up his sleeve ("-oh, okay") then his top (_"Mother!"_).

Jasmine stepped back, appalled, and looked over her shoulder at Aladdin, who was staring at Ali's bruises.

Ali finally re positioned his top, and looked up at his parents.

"I-I'm sorry, okay? I should have just ignored him and not retaliated, I... I'll find him tomorrow, and apologize-"

"No you won't." Aladdin walked forward and put his hand on Ali's shoulder and knelt down. "You aren't apologizing to him." Ali didn't answer, and Aladdin shook his shoulder slightly. "Right?"

Ali nodded. Aladdin smiled comfortingly and hugged him.

"Ah! Dad-" Ali's face clenched in pain.

"Sorry." Aladdin sat back slightly. Jasmine walked over.

"Ali, what happened to your face?" She asked, frowning. Ali looked afraid for a second.

"What?"

"See, Jasmine? Bruised ribs, cut wrists, split lip and that bruise across his mouth. _Why_ haven't we fired Rasoul yet?" Aladdin muttered. Jasmine glared down at Aladdin, then looked worriedly at her son

Maybe you should just avoid Rasoul now." She said soothingly as Aladdin stood up.

"Yeah, I will." Ali looked away, and headed for his bead. "Night."

"Goodnight. We love you." Jasmine said, as she and Aladdin left the room.

Once his door was shut, Jasmine turned to Aladdin.

"Why was he acting so odd?"

"He has just been humiliated by Rasoul. I guess he just doesn't want anyone to make it a big deal." Aladdin pointed out.

Hand in hand, they headed down the corridor.

* * *

Back in his room, Ali got up slowly, and walked over to his balcony, and peered out into the night, letting the wind ruffle his hair.

He stood there for a while thinking about how he felt about his parents... he was angry at them a little while ago for not telling him about his fake past... but not any more.

Now he just felt immense gratitude, glad that Princess Jasmine and the former Street-rat Aladdin were his parents- his original idea of maintaining a stony silence around them was gone.

Ali quickly peeked into his bathroom, to find Urchin asleep in the bathtub. He stared at her for a moment, until he realised that watching people sleep is often considered creepy, so he went back to his balcony, not knowing that his footsteps were causing Urchin to stir.

He stared out, thinking about how he had forgiven his parents for not telling him- he just had to ask them... they were probably just afraid for him and Rubith.

"Remember those walls I built?  
I think maybe they're tumbling down  
And they didn't even put up a fight,  
Or make a sound..."

He sang quietly to himself. Urchin was fully awake now, believing Aladdin to be in the room. She turned herself into a human, then peered out.

"I found a way to let you in,  
Though I never really had a doubt,  
Standing in the light of your halos, oh  
I've got my angels now."

Urchin stared in surprise. Ali sounded _exactly _like Aladdin when he sang. She hid inside some of the drapes around the bathroom and listened.

"Everywhere I'm looking now,  
I'm surrounded by their embrace  
I can see your halos,  
You're everything I need and more...  
I can feel your halos  
Pray they won't fade away.

I found a way to let you in,  
Though I never really had a doubt,  
Standing in the light of your halos, oh  
I've got my angels now."

Ali finished his whispered song, and stared out into the dark streets of Agrabah, before pulling his curtains closed, and climbing into bed.

Once she was sure he was asleep, Urchin quietly crept into the bath.


	9. Forbidden Treasure

This took an unbelievably long amount of time to be updated, but it's the filth's fault.  
Okay, that was a lie. It's the exam board's fault, but still. Plus side: I've finished school now for summer- YES! (I have a mad Carpet riding-session written already to match my mood, but it's not in this chapter... but I'm free! :D)

***Side note** - According to my old Social/Medical History teacher, the people of Arabia (or the middle east) were the only ones who bothered to translate the Ancient Greek's medical information that was written down before the Romans took over- everything else was lost...

So while Aurora made Philip go out killing crows for her to hang their beaks around her neck to stop the pain from an infection in her foot (since she wears no shoes), Jasmine put a small amount of honey- a natural antiseptic- onto a bad cut on Aladdin's foot (since he wears no shoes).

So that's why the Palace Physician is a medical genius. And also because of Genie.

* * *

Forbidden Treasure

The next day, Rubith got up earlier than usual, and headed off to the Treasury - it was an excellent time to go, since all the guards had to speak to Sultan - she knew, because she had peeked at the Throne Room before leaving, and heard the Sultan that he was "appalled by your behaviour" and that "Ali is the Prince!".

_Oh blah, blah. _Rubith thought to herself. _Ali's probably been whining about Rasoul again._

As she passed the room which belonged to Iago, Carpet and Abu, she debated about entering, but finally decided not to. _I'll just slip a diamond ring or something around his foot._ She decided. She just wasn't in the mood to see anyone right now.

She reached the treasury, and pushed open the door and wandered slowly in, not really feeling up to it. She picked up a diamond ring for Iago, and was about to leave when she stopped.

Now, thanks to Urchin's memories, Rubith realised that the item on the stand in the middle of the treasury was usually mystical, or worth much more than the rest of the Treasury's contents. She normally avoided that one, as it was heavily booby-trapped.

But now, she was curious.

She approached the item slowly. Once she was closer, she could see what it was: a shiny, black model of a woman's hand, made of a glittering black stone. The long fingernails on the end of the delicate fingers were red, yet they were covered in black words, which overlapped each other: some were upside-down, some were diagonal... either way, the fingernails' message was hard to read, but Rubith could just make it out... _Anger. Anger anger anger. _Repeated over and over...

"Anger?" Rubith said aloud. "Hmmm..." She bent to take a closer look, when the fingers twitched. Rubith stumbled back. "No way..." The discovery of all of her parents' mythical monster fighting antics must be messing with her mind.

At least, that's what she thought until the hand wiggled its fingers again. The black words on the fingernails glittered, and came alive, slithering across the scarlet nails.

Rubith backed up as the words of anger became a glittering cloud of smoke-like dust, lifting up from the nails, swarming in the air. Rubith looked back down at the hand, which pointed at her with one long, black finger. It was a command.

___Her. Attack her._

The dust swooped down on her quickly- Rubith just managed to throw herself aside just in time with a scream, before heading towards the door as fast as she could...

Just as Rasoul flung the door open. His eyes widened at what he saw, but he seized Rubith's arm and yanked her out of the treasury door and slamming it shut, but not before a small sprinkling of the dust escaped, which sunk into the back of Rasoul's large hand.

Through the door, Rubith watched as the dust sunk back into the hand's fingernails. She shivered.

"What was _that?" _She asked, shaken.

"The Claws of Anger and Rage." Rasoul muttered. "Sent anonymously to us yesterday, just after your parents left. Sultan instructed me to put it in the treasury."

"Oh, I love my Grandfather, but he's ever so slightly naïve." Rubith sighed. "The _Claw _of _Anger _and _Rage, honestly!_"

"Anyway, I did some reading up just now- the hand will attack those who utter the message inscribed on it, until it has possessed them with its dust- or at least, someone nearby."

"And the message was anger, so it attacked me... wait- _possessed?"_ Rubith looked up at Rasoul, worried.

"Well- not so much _possessing_ them... more like enhancing anger- or your dark side." Rasoul said. "Any anger will be... enhanced by it- if anything or anyone annoys you, you will react much worse than you normally would."

"Oh great. So next time you see my father, we'd best hope Carpet's nearby, right?" Rubith asked, one finger to her chin.

"Or your-" Rasoul began, but stopped. Rubith raised an eyebrow.

"Or my brother?"

Rasoul looked awkward. "You heard about last night then?"

"Uh... no, what happened last night?"

"Oh. Well Princess, after I..." Rasoul stared into space for a moment. "As I was putting the hand in the treasury last night, the hand unleashed anger on me. As I went to patrol the corridors, I found your brother, wandering around-"

"Yeah, Ahmahl was feeling a little nervous last night, so Ali went to his bedroom with him so he wouldn't have to walk alone in the dark corridors."

Now Rasoul looked even more awkward. "I was very hard on him... I need to alert the Sultan of the Hand before it attacks anyone else!" He ran around the corner.

"The Sultan doesn't tick you off, does he?" Rubith called in alarm, and raced after him.

She caught up, just in time to see Rasoul run straight into Ali, who was just coming around the corner sleepily. Ali stumbled but didn't fall over, waking up immediately.

"Rasoul!" Ali said, backing up a few steps. "You... okay?" He asked uneasily.

"It would be wise to stay out of my way, Lucky Rat." Rasoul said, menacingly.

Ali backed up, hands raised. "I am, really-"

"Wasn't last night warning enough?" Rasoul said, in that same dark voice. Rubith found herself rooted to the spot in shock.

Ali looked nervous. "Yes it was- look, Rasoul, I'm really sorry for... whatever I did, but-"

"Mocking me, are you Lucky?" Rasoul snapped, grabbing Ali's shirt and lifting him up.

"_No!"_ Ali tried to pry himself free. His shirt began to tear.

"Another trip into the same venue as last night, perhaps?" Rasoul smiled.

Ali began to kick with his legs, trying to get free. Rasoul threw him at the wall.

"_Oh!" _Rubith screamed in horror, as her brother's back smacked against the wall, and he slid to the floor slowly.

Rasoul took a step towards him, fist raised. Ali flinched.

"No-!" Rubith shouted, but she wasn't the only one. Before she could turn, Aladdin shot past her, jumped up and grabbed Rasoul's fist with both hands. Rubith ran forward and dropped to her knees beside Ali who sat up, wincing.

Rasoul whirled around, shoved Aladdin in the stomach, sending him flying backwards before turning to Ali.

Rubith stood up and blocked his way. "Rasoul- it''s just the Claw. _Fight it." _She commanded, staring at Rasoul with her large eyes.

For a moment, Rasoul glared back, until Rubith blinked, and brought her lower eyelids up slightly. Rasoul shook himself, and put a hand to his head.

"I have to warn the Sultan... Princess, explain to them about the Claw." He tugged a scroll from his vest, and tossed it to Aladdin, who obviously caught it. "Don't go back into the treasury!" He added, before running down the corridor.

"What?" Aladdin said in confusion and anger. He unrolled the scroll and read it quickly. "What's this Claw got to do with anything?" He passed the scroll to Ali, who was standing up.

"It's in the Treasury." Rubith said.

"What's it doing in there?" Ali and Aladdin said at the same time.

"Okay, first of all, never do that Saying-The-Same-Thing-At-The-Same-Time thing again, it's creepy," Rubith said. "Second, it's in there because it was sent to the Palace last night just after you guys left last night, and Sultan ordered Rasoul to take it into the treasury."

Aladdin froze. "Right before he met Ali..."

"So, he was just under a spell." Ali murmured. "The Claw amplified any emotions he had when he spotted me."

"Still not an excuse to throw you in the dungeon." Aladdin said, folding his arms. "The claw only _exaggerated _his actions. It didn't create the ill-feeling in the first place."

"Wait, what?" Rubith looked from her father to her brother. "So Rasoul threw you into the dungeon."

"Thanks, Father." Ali muttered, staring at the wall, trying to be as invisible as possible.

"You were in the dungeon? Cool! I'm always trying to get down there- what's it like?" Rubith asked eagerly.

"_Really_ over-rated." Ali said.

Aladdin laughed, and both of his kids turned to look at him.

"Ever been down there?" They both asked, casually at the same time.

"Maybe once or twice..." Aladdin looked awkward now. Rubith sidled up eagerly whilst Ali began counting on his fingers.

"When? Why?" Rubith asked enthusiastically.

"Being a street-rat brought lots of problems." Aladdin said, ruffling Rubith's ruffled hair.

"Five." Ali said aloud.

"What?" Aladdin and Rubith looked confused. After a few seconds, Aladdin looked startled, then shook himself.

"I'd better go find your mother and tell her about the hand thing." He scooped up the scroll, which had naturally ended up on the floor, and walked off down the corridor. Rubith spun round to face Ali.

"What was that all about?" She asked furiously.

"Didn't you see?" Ali asked quietly. He didn't want to tell us anything. We gave him the opportunity, and he leapt over it."

"We already know everything anyway."

"You're missing the point. He doesn't know that we know."

"Okay, true, but what was "_Five" _all about?" Rubith said, folding her arms.

"The number of times our Father has been in the dungeon." Ali replied calmly. Rubith frowned. "I only counted two."

Ali spoke, making quotation marks with his fingers in the appropriate places: "One- for '_Kidnapping the Princes_s', two- for '_Murdering the Sultan_', three- for '_Betraying Agrabah'_ by 'J_oining the Marauders_', four- when he was searching for Jasmine and the Sultan that time Aziz took over and last of all, to free Grandfather Cassim. I probably missed one."

Rubith stared. "You're such a freak sometimes, yeah?"

"Granted, but didn't you see the look on our Father's face when I said five? He was completely startled."

Rubith looked thoughtful. "Yeah..."

* * *

Sometime later Aladdin returned, joined by Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago.

"Oh, Iago!" Rubith grabbed the bird off of Carpet's back (or front... ugh. Whatever it's called. The top side!).

"Whoa! Look Princess, I was hoping to get a look in, seeing as you ditched me this morning- _hello!"_ Rubith silenced him by holding up the diamond ring and slipping it onto the parrot's ankle.

"Perfect fit- now if I were you, I'd take this and hide it in your room, since nobody other than me is gonna let you keep that." Rubith said in hushed tones. Iago nodded fervently, and flew off. He examined it closely as he flew, and almost crashed into a wall.

"Okay..." Aladdin said, watching the hand through the doors of the treasury. Jasmine broke out of the group, and walked over to her kids.

"Rubith, take your brother up to the Palace physician, would you?" Jasmine asked. Rubith looked taken aback.

"Who? _Him?" _She pointed at Ali. Jasmine nodded. Rubith turned to Ali. "Why? You look fine to me." Before he could answer, she continued: "Oh, I get it. _Internal_ injuries. Something in your head? That totally sucks. How am I supposed to introduce you? This is my brother. He's a little crazy. He thinks the monkey is the Sultan-"

"Oh wise Sultan, how may I serve you?" Ali replied monotonously.

"Okay, bye Mother." Rubith waved at her mother's shocked face. "Okay bro, time to go see the doctor."

Before they even started walking, Ali grinned at a suit of armour (while Rubith stared in surprise, because she was certain that gold suit of armour had not been there a second ago). "Hello doctor, how are you?"

"No, no, not that one-" Rubith replied. As Jasmine gasped, catching the attention of everyone else in the group at last, Ali and Rubith made a break for the physician's ward.

"Jasmine? What is it?" Aladdin tried to get to her, but Genie was in the way. Aladdin forced him out the way and stood beside Jasmine. "Jasmine?"

"Aladdin..." Jasmine said, faintly staring at where her children had been standing.

"What? What is it?" Aladdin put his hands on Jasmine's shoulders and turned her around to face him. Jasmine looked up at Aladdin, then whispered something in his ear. Aladdin held Jasmine at arm's length and looked at her face. "Really?"

Jasmine nodded. "Word for word. Or actually, Rubith twisted them slightly."

Aladdin bit his lip. "Yeah, something Ali said earlier... let's just keep an eye on them, okay?" He tilted Jasmine's chin up. "And if anything they say is suspicious-"

"Al? What are you talking about?" Genie asked. Aladdin turned to him, still holding Jasmine's hands.

"We're not too sure at the moment, but if Ali or Rubith say something... _unusual,_ can you tell us?"

"Sure, but-" Genie began, but Aladdin shook his head and turned back to Jasmine.

"Don't worry about it for now – let's just deal with the claw for now." Aladdin murmured. Jasmine nodded.

* * *

"_'He thinks the monkey is the Sultan_'? Are you crazy?"

Ali and Rubith were sitting in the Physician's Ward. The physician had just left to get something, leaving Ali lying awkwardly on the examination table having being told not to move, while Rubith had sniggered at him from a safe distance.

"What?" Rubith said, sitting down at the foot of the table. "It's not like you didn't play along."

"Yeah okay, so maybe I couldn't resist." Ali struggled to sit upright. "But you started it."

"Actually, ___you_started it, by reminding Dad exactly how many times he'd been down in the dungeons."

"That just slipped out!" Ali protested. "I didn't mean-"

"Nevertheless, it gave me an idea. Like you said: when we gave Dad a chance to spill, he skipped over it. So, I'm just gonna... jog their memories a bit."

"Rubith-!" Ali began, but was cut off by the physician, who came rushing back in. He was quite short, and balding slightly, and had large hands.

"Lie down right now, young prince!" The physician said in alarm. "I checked your injuries, they are a bit more severe than we thought-"

"What? No-" Ali tried to sit up, not wishing to endure Rubith's taunts. "I'm fine- ___ah!__" _The physician placed a hand on Ali's chest to make him lie down again, touching a sore spot.

"Sorry." The physician said. "But please do lie down." Ali began to lie down reluctantly. "Now, I believe you may have bruised a few ribs."

"Oh excellent." Ali muttered.

"And yet..." The physician probed a spot on Ali's side, who initially flinched away from the pain the first time, but the second time, he sat rigid, gripping the edges of the bed tightly whilst the physician prodded his ribs. "You seem to be in too much pain to have___just_bruised ribs-"

Rubith snorted. _Wimp, _she mouthed to Ali.

"-even though you're fighting not to show it." The physician finished. "I'm sorry, but I need you to remove you shirt to assess the extent of your injuries properly."

Rubith laughed, placing both hands over her mouth to stifle it, while Ali looked mortified. He reluctantly took off his shirt, and Rubith's laughter cut off.

"Ohh..." She whispered.

Although the marks on Ali's face and wrists had faded, the ones on his ribs had gotten darker, a more poisonous ink-purple/black colour.

The physician gingerly touched a large bruised area with one finger, regretting his previous roughness. Ali cringed, wrapping his arms around himself, tightening into a ball.

Rubith bit the side of her index finger worriedly.

"Hmm... from these bruises, I think it may be possible that you've broken a few ribs – but you just don't seem to be in enough _pain _to have broken ribs." The physician said. He held up a flat black square above Ali's ribs.

"What's that?" Ali asked suspiciously.

"An extraordinary tool given to me by the genie." The physician said proudly. "Watch." he added to Rubith, who peered at the shiny black surface.

After a few seconds, an X-ray of Ali's ribcage appeared. Rubith winced. "Ouch much?" She muttered.

"What?" Ali struggled to sit up.

"I'm afraid it's worse than we thought." The physician said grimly. "You're ribs are severely bruised, and two have been cracked. Luckily, they were cracked diagonally into the bone, so they haven't separated from each other yet- now, hold still. I need to put these bandages on you..."

* * *

A little while later, Rubith walked out the physician's ward, pushing Ali along on a wooden wheelchair. Ali watched over his shoulder. The second the physician's ward was out of sight, he leapt up.

"I'm not sitting in that. I broke my ribs, not my legs." Ali said firmly. He walked around in a circle experimentally. His ribs now only hurt when they were prodded.

"Oh good." Rubith said. "Because I've always wanted to ride in one of these. Stand on the back bit." She commanded.

Ali frowned, and stood on the small step. Rubith sat in the seat eagerly and began kicking back against the floor with her feet.

"Wait- you're going _backwards?" _Ali yelped, looking behind him as the wheelchair began sliding down the corridor backwards towards the top of the stairs.

"Of course- like I'd go first." Rubith grinned.

"Oh yeah?" Ali yanked on the right handle of the wheelchair, using the momentum to spin the chair around and made Rubith face the stairs...

Just as they went over the top step. Rubith cringed in fear and excitement, leaning forward, her face lit up as they bounced down the stairs. Ali was sort-of smiling too, but in shock- his eyes were a bit to wide, and his mouth was slightly open.

They skidded to a hault in the large, empty throne room, and took it in turns to run and jump onto the wheelchair and see who slid further.

Just as Ali was landing on the wheelchair, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago all came in. He flung himself off of it backwards – luckily, Rubith seized his underarms before he hit the floor, which wouldn't have done much for his ribs.

Not so luckily, the wheelchair went whizzing off of the edge of the balcony and judging from the resulting noise... had hit somebody on the head.

"Ali? What are you doing?" Jasmine asked. "What did the physician say?"

Ali said "I'm fine, really-"  
At the same time as Rubith said "Severely bruised ribs and too cracked ribs."

"Thanks Ruby." Ali muttered.

"No problem." She replied.

"I'm fine though." Ali added tetchily. "Why I needed a wheelchair, I don't know." Then his eyes widened. "Oh boy- the wheelchair."

He edged over to the balcony, and peered over.

"_You!" _Roared a faint voice from below. Ali stumbled back from the balcony as if it was on fire.

"I've got to go, bye!" Ali said, running out of the room through the curtain that was the door.

"Ali – what?" Aladdin began, but Rubith cut him off.

"Oh no. I think Ali is the most unlucky person I have ever met. I still don't understand why Rasoul calls him Lucky. Sarcasm I guess." She was peering over the balcony.

"What? What? That a special wheelchair or something?" Iago asked, flying onto Rubith's shoulder. "Oh, and thanks for the ring, by the way." He stuck out his foot to peer at it for a moment, then lowered it. "It really brings out my eyes." He tilted his head back, blinking rapidly.

Abu leant forward from Aladdin's shoulder, and made rings around his eyes with his index finger and thumb, chattering.

"OH I'LL SHOW YOU SMALL AND BEADY MONKEY!" Iago shrieked, flying at Abu furiously, who had jumped from Aladdin's shoulder, and was running in the direction of the curtain Ali had just left from...

...Just as Ali fell back through it backwards. Abu dodged with a shriek, but Iago didn't move in time, and Ali landed on him.

"Ah!" Ali rolled over onto his stomach, wincing and holding his ribs. He pulled the limp parrot from his hair by one wing, looking concerned.

Iago opened his eyes slowly. "AH!" He cried at something over Ali's shoulder. Ali turned his head to see Rasoul burst into the room like an angry bull. Iago and Ali flinched as Rasoul began to charge in their direction.

Aladdin ran forward and dropped to his knees beside his son.

Rasoul stopped when he saw that the room was full of people. (Okay, that was a lie. There's only five people. But there's a bird, a monkey, an enchanted carpet and a genie. So a pretty full room).

Aladdin glared up at Rasoul. "You know things look bad for you when the prince of Agrabah is afraid of his own guard.

"_Afraid." _Ali muttered in what should have been a scornful voice.

"He wasn't until last night." Rasoul muttered.

"And last night wasn't your fault." Jasmine said. Aladdin frowned at her, but Jasmine pretended not to see. Ali frowned. _So if Rasoul is no longer affected by the claw, he's not going to attack me again, and I don't have to be afraid of him..._

"Okay," Aladdin said, standing up, raising Ali up with him (and thus, Iago, who was now perched warily on Ali's shoulder). "So if last night wasn't your fault and it was just the influence of the claw, why did Ali come into this room flying backwards?"

"Rasoul had forgotten that not everyone is as heavy as he is." Ali said, eyebrows raised. Rasoul growled and leant forward.

"Back to your old arrogant self, Lucky?" He hissed, so only Ali . Ali wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah, I'm back to normal. Shame you haven't changed though – you're full of space for improvements." Ali replied.

Aladdin laughed. Rasoul's eyes flickered to him then back to Ali. Iago winced and flew to a safe distance. He added in a taunting whisper:

"I don't regret what happened last night... The expression on your face when I threatened to take you down to the dungeons..." Ali's face became uneasy. He swallowed and tried to frown, but the inside ends of his eyebrows tilted up slightly, making him look afraid. Rasoul continued without hesitating, "I preferred you when you were begging me for mercy – like the coward you truly are. Identical to your father in every way it seems."

Aladdin – the only other one to have heard, lunged for Rasoul, but then stopped. Ali had beaten him to it, but Rasoul had been ready, his hand snapped forward and landed against the base of Ali's neck, preventing him from moving forward. He laughed at the frustration on Ali's face.

Ali stared down at Rasoul's hand, and a crazy idea flashed in his mind. All those agile stunts and movements his father seemed to do so easily – ones that Rubith could mimic because they "came naturally" to her... _can I do that?_

Ali, grinning at the thought of ripping that smug smile off of Rasoul's face, grabbed the Guard's fingers with his left hand, and his thumb with his right hand. Ali yanked them in opposite directions, hard. Rasoul yelled in pain, and Ali used this opportunity to try something interesting... he swung his legs up behind himself – and at the same time, forced his wrists to bring his arms forward...

In one quick movement, Ali was literally doing a hand-stand on Rasoul's arm. Before anyone could react, Ali vaulted off of Rasoul's arm with his hands and landed with both feet on Rasoul's right shoulder.

"Whoa! Junior's part ninja!" Genie said to Aladdin.

"Well, Father is too, right?" Ali said, folding his arms and looking down at Aladdin. "Because, it's like Rasoul said." Ali bent his knees and smiled down at Rasoul with a dark, unnerving smile. "I'm identical to my father in _every_ way."

Rasoul shook himself, and Ali jumped down, landing on his hands, before flipping over and landing on his feet. He looked down at his hands in amazement, and then looked at Aladdin who (like everyone else in the room) was staring at Ali in shock.

"Ali?" Aladdin asked. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Just came to me naturally." Ali said, frowning slightly. "I don't remember ever being able to do that..." He said, in a confused voice, whilst secretly watching his parents' faces, to see if they gave anything away. They _did exchange _glances...

"So." Ali said, changing the subject having realized that neither of his parents were going to say anything, "Where's the Claw thing? Destroyed?"

"Actually, we... er... lost it." Genie said, conjuring up a blue Pluto before him , who immediately started sniffing. Genie clung to Pluto's lead as he began to charge out of the room.

Rubith stared thoughtfully at her hand, making the fingers crawl along. "Yeah, I can see that happening."

Genie came back into the room, carrying a startled looking Ahmahl.

"Genie?" Jasmine said. "What _oh!"_ Jasmine's hand flew to her mouth.

The Claw of Anger and Rage was clamped firmly around Ahmahl's foot.


	10. Dark Oracle

Sorry, the mad Carpet riding won't be until next chapter. BUT IT WILL APPEAR! :D

* * *

Dark Oracle

"Oh boy." Aladdin said. Ahmahl looked up at everyone after Genie put him slowly down on the floor.

"What is it?"

"Come here." Jasmine held out her arms. Ahmahl nervously ran to her. Jasmine scooped him up and balanced him on her hip, looking from the Claw to Aladdin.

Aladdin grabbed the Claw's fingers, gritted his teeth, and began to pull. After one sharp tug, then the Claw flew from Ahmahl's foot and went sailing through the air – headed straight for Rubith.

"Ruby!" Ali yelled, running at his sister. He managed to shove her aside, and catch the Claw with his right hand. He held it as far away from himself as he could.

"Dibs anyone?" He called. "Anyone feel like destroying this thing any time? _Ah-" _He flinched as the claw's fingers swiped at his face.

"The Claw of Anger too much for you Lucky?" Rasoul called.

"_Rasoul!" _Ali hissed fearfully. Rasoul looked taken aback – and confused.

"Dad!" Rubith said. Aladdin suddenly realized what was going on when the cloud of glittering, dusty smoke rose from the hand.

"Ali!" Aladdin ran forward but the cloud had already engulfed Ali, and froze... the Claw was lying at his feet. Aladdin grabbed it and threw it at the floor as hard as he could, where it shattered like glass.

Ali gasped and fell to his knees as the cloud was sucked back to the shattered pieces of the Claw. Aladdin walked forward.

"Ali?" He said hesitantly. Ali groaned and ran his left hand through his hair.

"Present." He said sleepily, raising his right hand.

"Are you all right? Not angry or anything?" Aladdin knelt on the floor beside his son.

"No. Wait:" Ali looked at Rasoul, frowning slightly. "Mild irritation and a large amount of revulsion. No need to worry- that's normal. Guess I got off... lucky. Thanks Father." Ali said, still sounding barely conscious.

"Ali? Are you okay?" Aladdin asked again. Ali blinked and shook himself.

"Yeah." Ali muttered, shaking himself. He looked up. "I'm okay."

"Al! Heads up!" Genie called, throwing a scroll at Aladdin. Aladdin caught it, and unfurled it, frowning.

"_When destroyed, a dark artefact of Serpentine will release a Dark Oracle upon their last target, whether or not the target was successfully affected by the dark artefact's power." _Aladdin frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Dad!" Ruby cried, grabbing his arm. Aladdin turned to see the shards of the hand turning into a smoky figure... twisting in and out of shape.

"_Ali..." _The figure said, pointing a disfigured hand at the boy. Aladdin crouched in front of Ali protectively. _"Move aside." _The figure hissed.

"Genie do something!" Aladdin said, still not moving out of the way. As Genie zoomed over, the shapeless figure grabbed Aladdin with its distorted hands, and threw him aside.

"_Aladdin!"_

"_Dad!"_

Genie flew forward and caught Aladdin before he hit the floor. Aladdin wriggled free of Genie's arms, and ran towards Ali.

The figure descended, and took the shape of a woman with long, wavy black hair. Nobody could see her face, except Ali, whose eyes widened.

"_Ali." _She purred. Ali began backing away slowly, looking more and more afraid as she advanced.

"Ali? Who is it?" Ruby asked.

Ali opened his mouth, but she rushed forward, grabbing Ali's face with one her hand, and held one finger to his lips.

_"Shh..." _She whispered. Ali looked panicked by her touvh, and threw himself backwards to the floor, and turned his head to look at his family and friends.

_"_Ali - oo_!" _Aladdin ran as fast as he could towards Ali, but then was knocked backwards as if there was a wall before him. Aladdin scrambled to his feet, and pressed his hand against the solid air before him. _"No!" _Aladdin shouted.

The Dark Oracle turned her head towards Aladdin at his shout and smiled darkly. Aladdin froze, his mouth open slightly, and his pupils seemed to grow larger. The rest of the group, who had hurried to his side at this point, looked in confusion from Aladdin to the Oracle.

"Aladdin?" Jasmine asked, nervously. Genie waved his hand in front of Aladdin's face. Aladdin still watched the Oracle, transfixed.

_"Aladdin!" _Jasmine snapped, grabbing Aladdin's shoulder and attempting to wrench him away.

"Yeah, what?" Aladdin said, in a dazed voice, still not tearing his gaze from the Oracle.

_"I would appreciate it if you left." _The Dark Oracle said. Aladdin shook himself, apparently awakened from his charm. "_I have an Omen to deliver." _She began to descend upon Ali, a smile on her face... the face only Aladdin and Ali seemed to be able to see clearly.

_"So you were the last anger victim?" _She said, leaning forward. _"You don't look too enraged, all things considered. It's a shame really..." _She reached her hand her hand out, her fingers splayed against the skin of Ali's neck and her thumb rested against his lips. _"You are rather cute." _Ali flinched. _"I almost regret bringing a bad omen... Almost." _

Ali shuddered as her thumb traced the outline of his lip and slid down his cheek, finally coming to a rest on his neck. Ali jerked his throat out of her grip. Her eyes darkened. She rammed her forearm into him, pushing him backwards into a wall.

_"Father!" _Ali called out. The Dark Oracle pressed her forehead against Ali's and spat:

_"Here it is, my _beloved: _you seem to have a problem which will only get worse in the future... putting yourself before the ones who matter moat to you. And I mean that in the physical sense - throwing yourself in front of the ones you love will get you into trouble one day - you will take their fall. Remember: no good deed goes unpunished.  
But don't worry, little prince, for in the future," _She looked around at the others._ "when there are no witnesses, I will come for you."_

Using her smoky hands, the Oracle tilted Ali's head back slowly. He twitched around, trying to turn his head away from her, but she was too strong. She pressed her flickering lips against Ali's chin, before exploding into a cloud of dust.

The moment she vanished, Ali sank to the floor, as he was no longer being held up by her arm. Ali coughed, then staggered to his feet.

Aladdin ran forward, and grabbed Ali.

Ali looked up at his father. He could see that Aladdin was speaking to him - he actually looked frantic, shaking Ali back and forth, his mouth shouting words that Ali couldn't hear. All he could hear was a ringing in his ears, and he could only see something if it was in the centre of his vision - everything else was a blur.

Ali closed his eyes.


	11. Awkward In A Bottle

Awkward In A Bottle

Ali opened his eyes weakly, but he could hardly see... it was like a black veil had been placed over his eyes. He blinked rapidly a couple of times, and his vision cleared slightly. All he could see was the sky, moving past at a blur. He rolled over onto his stomach weakly, still keeping his head raised.

"Father?" He whispered. Aladdin glanced over his shoulder.

"Ali?" Aladdin placed his hand on Ali's chest. "I'm getting help, okay?" Aladdin said urgently. Ali blinked slowly. _What was wrong? Why was his father freaking out? _"We're-" Aladdin said, but his voice faded as Ali lost consciousness again.

* * *

Carpet swooped over the Land of the Black Sand, while Aladdin supported Ali to stop him sliding off. Aladdin glanced down at Ali, who had slipped out of conciousness again.

"Get inside there now, Carpet!" Aladdin said, pointing at an open window in the Citadel. Carpet immediately changed direction and flew through the window.

Carpet hovered in the empty corridor. Aladdin repositioned Ali and called out.

"Mozenrath!"

Instantly, Mozenrath materialized on the ground below in ribbons of blue light. Apparently, monologuing was a hard evil-villan habit to break, since that's what Mozenrath started doing the moment he appeared.

"I have a door (which is more than I can say for you) - a nice door too. Really big. I even put a carved snake on it, but no, he insists on using the window. Obviously, he is not trying to be stealthy, since he ignored my crystals' light. Old habits die hard." Mozenrath folded his arms and looked up at Aladdin.

"Mozenrath... I didn't know who else to see..." Aladdin said. He nodded to Carpet, who then slowly flew lower down. Ali's head flopped over into Mozenrath's direction. Mozenrath sucked in a deep breath.

"Aladdin, put him down now." Mozenrath said, stiffly. Aladdin stared at Mozenrath in confusion, then looked at his son, and froze.

A streams of black smoke seemed to come from Ali's eyes, like black tears, raising up into the air in a charmed-cobra fashion. A tendril of the smoke had curled itself around Aladdin's neck without his noticing.

Aladdin flinched away from the smoke to prevent it touching his skin.

"Aladdin, put him down." Mozenrath repeated. When Aladdin didn't, Mozenrath shot a ball of blue and black flame at Aladdin. Aladdin yelped and his arms jerked apart, causing Ali to fall to the floor below.

"No!" Aladdin reached his arm over the edge of Carpet uselessly.

Mozenrath's powers caught Ali, seconds before he hit the floor, then let him fall the last centimeter.

Carpet flew down, and Aladdin jumped off.

"Who's been fooling around with dark sorcerery?" Mozenrath said sternly, folding his arms again. Aladdin looked at his brother.

"Ever hear of the Dark Oracle?"

"Naturally. This way." Mozenrath beckoned for them to follow. Carpet scooped up Ali and Aladdin caught up with Mozenrath.

* * *

Once inside Mozenrath's lab, Carpet was instructed to lie Ali down on a cleared wooden table. Once this was done, Mozenrath and Aladdin looked down at Ali.

"It didn't touch him, did it? The Oracle?" Mozenrath asked.

Aladdin winced. "She did - whilst she was delivering the omen."

"She gave him an omen? That's unfortunate." Mozenrath said. "Do you recall it?"

Aladdin bit his lip. "You...you seem to have a problem...that gets worse in the future... putting yourself before the ones you love will get you into trouble one day... Er...no good deed goes unpunished."

Mozenrath looked relieved, until Aladdin added:

"But... but don't worry... little prince, in the future, when there are no - witnesses, I will... come for you." Aladdin rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his brother. "What-?"

"She'll come to him, will she?" Mozenrath said, thoughtfully. A glowing blue book appeared beside him, opened itself, flicked through the pages and then lay itself down in the table beside Ali and the blue glow vanished.

"You could have done that yourself." Aladdin muttered. "Rather than waste magic."

"Ah, but that would take longer. Besides, the Elixir of Life is very reliable. The gauntlet isn't bothering me at all." Mozenrath replied. "Now then, to the nephew. The thing that gave him this "omen" - the Dark Oracle, is actually an imprint of Serpentine."

"What?" Aladdin asked, confused.

Mozenrath peered at the book he had opened. "Serpentine was a dark sorceress who ruled the City of Brackenthorn."

"Brackenthorn? Which desert is that in?"

"None. It's located to the far west. In the Kingdom." Mozenrath replied, a small frown on his face. _(Kingdom = England in the world of Disney, methinks :P)_

"Did you say she _rules _Brackenthorn, or _ruled _it?" Aladdin enquired.

"I'm hoping ruled - this scroll, despite being written in present tense, is in fact almost two hundred years old."

"Ok, but what would a dead witch want with Ali?"

"Serpentine was famed for dispersing home-made dark artefacts to her enemies." Mozenrath checked the book. "Spear of Hate, Touch of Pain-"

"The Claw of Anger and Rage?" Aladdin supplied.

"That's the one you were stuck with, then?" Mozenrath said with a wry smile. "I'm assuming you were destroying it?"

Aladdin nodded. "But Rasoul set it off while Ali was holding it-"

"And Serpentine's powers leaked out to make Ali highly susceptible to the emotions of anger and rage?" Mozenrath guessed.

"Yeah... but I smashed it _before_ it got him, but then the Oracle appeared..."

"And _that..._ 'got him', instead." Mozenrath finished.

"Yeah. Then he just collapsed..." Aladdin gestured to Ali. "And he became like this. Black tears started coming out of his eyes every time he tried to open them, and he said they burned him. He would only be conscious for about ten seconds... then he'd be out again."

"Ah, but that is because the Oracle." Mozenrath pointed to Ali. "Is still there."

"What?"

"_I'll come for you, little prince?"_ Mozenrath repeated. "The Oracle is keeping Ali in this weakened state until Serpentine can come and collect him. Literally."

Aladdin looked confused. Mozenrath pointed to the book.

"Third paragraph down." Mozenrath said. Aladdin skipped over Serpentine's early history and physical appearance to see her habits.

"Sent own dark creations to enemies..." Aladdin muttered, skimming over the bits Mozenrath had already read. "Was also known for her interest in men. Every three years, she remarries to a new husband, whom she deems worthy of her." Aladdin frowned at Mozenrath. "What? _Ali?"_

"It was inevitable that anyone the Dark Oracle bestows an Omen to would then meet Serpentine. Whether male or female. Serpentine would then choose her next husband from _that _area. So not necessarily Ali, but she would choose her next husband from Agrabah."

"Ok - so Serpentine would have come to Agrabah, lifted the spell off of Ali, then went looking for her new husband?" Aladdin asked. Mozenrath nodded.

"But we don't have Serpentine around to lift the spell, so we need to do it." Mozenrath responded.

_"We _need to do it?" Aladdin asked in alarm.

"Let me rephrase - _I'll _have to lift the spell." Mozenrath looked from the book to Ali. Aladdin thought he heard Mozenrath whisper _"Alas..."_

"What?" Aladdin said, dreading the answer.

"Are you aware of the dangers surrounding mixing magics?" Mozenrath asked.

"Yeah, Genie's often mentioning it." Aladdin asked.

"Because magic is different for everyone - and you can't mix it... it would be like trying to mix lamp oil in water."

"What's Serpentine's magic like then?" Aladdin asked, leaning over the book.

"Serpentine's powers are a substance that is a very different form of magic, as it is neither liquid nor air. Although it is known to resemble smoke, Serpentine's power is said to feel wet to the touch. Given the nick-name "Poison"." Mozenrath replied, reading quicker than Aladdin.

Aladdin straightened up. "And since your powers resemble fire, you can't fix this?" Aladdin stared down at his son. Mozenrath made a noise in the back of his throat and a gesture with his hands to indicate a fiery explosion. Aladdin spun around suddenly.

"Carpet? What is it?" He asked. Carpet swooped around a device in the corner. Aladdin glanced sideways at his brother.

Carpet had made a suggestion: the infamous, soul-swapping device.

"What deluded your rug into thinking_ that_ thing is going to work?" Mozenrath muttered to Aladdin.

"If the Oracle's still inside Ali..." Aladdin said, his hand on his chin. "And Serpentine's magic is air and liquid - but not a solid, then-?"

"Very clever." Mozenrath muttered. "All right, so the rag and yourself had a good idea. Don't let it go to your head."

* * *

After lifting Ali onto one of the beds, Aladdin looked warily up at the machine. He was still freaked out by it. Aladdin glanced over at his brother. How things had changed.

He watched as Mozenrath attached a large bottle to the other bed.

"What's that for?"

"I'm not in the mood for Dark Entities swooping around in my lab today." Mozenrath adjusted the pipe so that it fitted perfectly around the top of the bottle. He then backed up a step from the machine. "Everything looks in order. Back up a bit." Mozenrath added to Aladdin, who stumbled backwards, almost falling over (but Carpet held him up). Mozenrath gave him an odd look.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing." Aladdin shook himself. "That thing still gives me the creeps." Mozenrath stared at him a moment before replying:

"Me too." Then Mozenrath raised his hand. "Begin."

Aladdin winced slightly as the machine lowered down onto Ali's face. Mozenrath took a step forward as black magic was drawn out of Ali's face and up into the machine. Mozenrath waved a hand and the black smoke went down into the bottle, and the machine stopped.

Aladdin looked at Mozenrath as he quickly unplugged the bottle and forced the glass stopper into the top before Serpentine's magic could escape. Mozenrath slammed the jar (which appeared to be jerking around) onto a shelf before turning back to Aladdin.

"I'm going to destroy that within the hour." He muttered.

"Hey! Get this _off _of me!" Came a shout from behind them. Aladdin and Mozenrath turned to see Ali, struggling against the metal shackles that were around his arms and ankles. The glass mask was still over his face.

Aladdin ran over. "Ali calm down!" Aladdin lifted the glass mask up from his son's face, but it seemed to force its way back down again. Aladdin struggled to hold it up, while Ali struggled to get free.

Ali finally managed to sit up slightly, despite the shackles cutting into his forearms slightly. Aladdin released the device, which fell down against the table. Ali rested his head on it whilst Aladdin opened the shackles that held his arms down. Once they were open, Ali sat up and freed his ankles before turning to his father.

"How bad is it?" He asked, looking tense.

"How-? How bad is what?" Aladdin looked bewildered.

"You recognize me, so that's good." Ali said, biting his lip. He looked down at himself. "I do look the same." He glanced over to the other bed. "Who was on there?" He asked, pointing at the bed apprehensively.

"No one was - where's Mozenrath gone?" Aladdin looked around, but Mozenrath was nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, Ali had gone cautiously over to a mirror that was sitting in the corner. He looked surprised and confused with his reflection.

"Ali? What's wrong?" Aladdin asked.

"I'm still me?" Ali asked, frowning.

"What are you talking about?" Aladdin asked.

"Did you stop the transference before it was finished?" Ali asked, not taking his eyes off of his reflection. Aladdin's eyes widened. "You didn't interrupt it, did you? I'm completely me, aren't I?" Ali continued. nervously staring at his reflection's eyes, looking for any trace of abnormality.

Ali jumped as Mozenrath appeared beside him, and backed into Aladdin.

"You weren't hooked up to that device for a transfer, it was to remove the Dark Oracle from you." Mozenrath said arms folded. Mozenrath stared down at Ali. "How did you know what that machine is used for?"

Ali looked back at the machine, thinking quickly. He couldn't let his father and uncle know how much of the past he was aware of.

"I don't know... I just... _remember_ it..." Ali lied, frowning as if confused. He walked away from his uncle and father quickly, so they wouldn't be able to read his facial expression.

Aladdin and Mozenrath looked at each other.

"Oh what a great idea to tell your kids _that." _Mozenrath hissed. "A bedtime story, was it? 'Your Uncle Mozen has tried to kill me many times-'"

"Well, I didn't say anything!" Aladdin said angrily (in a whispered voice). "And Jasmine didn't either."

Mozenrath frowned at Aladdin. "What _have _you told him?" Aladdin stared uncomfortably at the floor.

"Nothing yet. Jasmine and I thought they looked happy - we didn't want them to realize that the streets of their own city weren't safe. Not yet."

Mozenrath put his hand against his forehead. "Do what you will, but what happens when_ something_ happens? An old... _friend_ shows up? _'Hello, I'm an old friend of your fathers, let me in so I may kill you all.'_"

Aladdin stared at Mozenrath, not looking amused. "I'll talk to Jasmine later."

"What's this?" Ali called faintly form the other side of the room, catching the brothers' attention. He was staring at the bottle that contained the Oracle, which was shaking.

"The Oracle. In a bottle." Aladdin said. "Don't touch it."

Ali turned around. "Awkward in a bottle?" He asked, confused.

"No, the Dark Oracle. Don't touch it." Mozenrath said darkly. "I don't think she is too happy after losing her last victim."

"Oh, you mean me." Ali said sounding almost sarcastic, which, Aladdin noticed, is very unusual for him.

"Ugh, you can tell the Princess is _his _mother." Mozenrath said in undertone to Aladdin. Aladdin frowned at Ali.

"Ali, what-?" Aladdin began, but Ali cut him off.

"Dad - look out!" Ali ran backwards, as the bottle fell from the shelf because it was shaking so much.

The second the bottle hit the floor, a black cloud surged from the room, engulfing them all instantly.


	12. Scars

O.M.G. I am so, so, _sorry! _I can't believe I haven't updated in so long! I had really bad writer's block. ARGH! *Hits self* I wasted the WHOLE SUMMER! ARGH! (Though I actually only got my laptop three weeks ago..) And now I'm back at school... and I should be doing homework. Oops. Anyway, thank you, if you're reading this, for still coming back, even though I've kept you waiting for so long.

* * *

Scars

Aladdin opened his eyes slowly. He was lying face-down on the ground. He raised his head to look around, blinking to clear his vision.

Wherever he was, it wasn't a normal place. The ground was covered in black smoke, and there weren't any walls - as far as he could see, the empty horizon faded to black all around him. When he looked up, the low ceiling was also constructed of black smoke, but littered with tiny, red stars.

Aladdin took a few steps backwards, tripped over something and fell over. The sound he made when he hit the floor echoed eerily. Aladdin gasped when he saw what he had tripped over. It appeared to be his own unconcious body.

Aladdin frowned. No, it wasn't. Aladdin shook himself. It was Ali.

Aladdin reached down and rolled Ali onto his back. Ali slowly opened is eyes.

"Father?" Ali muttered. He sat up. "Ugh..." He rubbed his head.

"You all right?" Aladdin asked.

"Mm-hm." Ali said, nodding. Aladdin smiled, then crawled over to Mozenrath.

"Mozenrath?" Aladdin rolled his brother onto his back. He didn't stir. Aladdin put his ear on Mozenrath's chest. "He's okay." He muttered, mostly to himself.

"Where are we?" Ali and Aladdin asked at the same time, before looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

Mozenrath stirred and muttered something. Aladdin crawled back over. Before Aladdin could reach his brother, the gauntlet lit up, and lifted Mozenrath to his feet.

"We're still in the same place as before." Mozenrath said. Aladdin and Ali looked confused. "You two asked where we were and I told you: we're in my lab still." Mozenrath said, exasperatedly. "Or at least, our bodies are. This has to be some kind of illusion. Or a vision. I haven't figured it out yet."

"Right..." Aladdin stood up and looked around. "So what's the-"

"Hi." Said a voice from behind Ali. Ali swung his head around to see the Oracle standing behind him. Ali jolted, like he was about to get away from her, but she quickly placed one hand on his head, forcing him to freeze in a kneeling position.

Aladdin and Mozenrath started to approach, but Ali's breath caught in his throat and his back arched unnaturally.

"Ah ah ahh," The Oracale's smokey features curved into an evil smile that was just visible through the long, curled black hair that hung down to cover most of her face. "One more step, and Princey here won't live to see his next birthday."

Aladdin and Mozenrath immediately stopped, and The Oracle laughed.

"That put you two in your place, didn't it?" She sneered. "Because that's what it's all about, isn't it?" She looked down at Ali. "Living to see your next birthday? Or just living. Staying alive, fighting, for as long as you can, no matter what scars you may recieve."

The Oracle then looked over to Aladdin, and the look in her eyes made his blood run cold.

"No!" He yelled, and ran forward as The Oracle placed her other hand on Ali's face, who flinched.

The Oracle suddenly drew back and began cackling wildly. Ali crawled backwards to get as far away from her as possibly, then stood up once he reached his father.

"How _precious!"_ The Oracle said, gleefully. "There isn't a scratch on him!"

The three boys looked confused. "I was checking for scars." The Oracle sighed. "But there wasn't a single mark..." The Oracle smiled pitingly at the three of them, before snapping her fingers. Ali was suddenly seized by an invisible force, and dragged towards The Oracle slowly. Aladdin tried to run forward, but a swirl of dark smoke wrapped itself around his wrists and held them down firmly at his sides. When he looked frantically at Mozenrath, he saw that his brother was being held back too.

The Oracle smiled as Ali - still fighting - was dragged to her. "It's odd..." The Oracle mused, each word punctuating another tug on the force pulling Ali along. "How a fifteen-year-old boy can be so unscathed, even living in a Palace." Ali finally reached The Oracle, and was violently tugged to his feet and forced into a standing position beside her.

Ali caught a glimpse of his father's face, and saw that he was looking apprehensive.

"I'm a careful person." Ali said grimly, still attempting to tug his arms free from the invisible force that was holding them back.

"You sat careful, I say ill-prepared." The Oracle smirked. "One might even say that you shouldn't have even been born yet."

Ali looked over to his father, who looked apprehensive. "What do you mean?" Ali asked, and stopped fighting against the invisible restraints.

"Well, you know alot already, more than your parents think you do." The Oracle said casually. "And the memories - so _vivid!_" She laughed. "So how much do you know? Of the day you were born? Up until the last encounter with the water elemental, am I right?"

Ali shot a panicked look at his father, only to see that Aladdin and Mozenrath were both staring him - Aladdin looked shocked, while Mozenrath was looking thoughtful. "Dad, I-I..." Ali said, but stopped. What could he possibly say?

"How?" Aladdin whispered.

"So, it's simple." The Oracle said, grabbing Ali's chin with a shockingly cold and firm grip, despite the fact her hand was made of smoke. "After the elemental left, your family and friends fought their way to the centre of the Cave. When they reached the blade, it was already too late - your father had become a monster." She grinned triumphantly as Ali jerked his head free, his eyes wide.

"Shocked? That's not even the best part!" The Oracle sang. She held Ali's face again. "See, while your father was a feline, dear old Destane possessed him, and forced your father to bring him back to life..." She sighed. "But your Uncle still managed to return his brother to normal, but _then..."_

The Oracle pointed one finger at Ali's forehead. "Zap." She said calmly, and Ali fell to the floor, his eyes wide.

"What are you _doing?" _Aladdin yelled, and tried to break through the force holding him back.

Ali sat up, his hair blowing around in a non-existant wind, his wide eyes flashed gold as images only he could see flashed before him. Finally, they ended, and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Satisfied, Ali-baby?" The Oracle jeered. Ali opened his eyes but kept them down, breathing slowly and shakily, traces of tears in his eyes. The Oracle laughed as Ali was slowly forced to his feet by her powers. "Aww, what's wrong?" She cackled. Ali turned his head away from her. "Feeling betrayed? Lied to? _Look at me when I'm talking to you."_ The Oracle hissed, and Ali's head snapped around to face the Oracle.

"Or _maybe," _She hissed maliciously, "You're afraid. And so you should be."

Ali, Aladdin and Mozenrath stared. She laughed.

"You don't _know!" _She sang.

"What don't I know? What should I be afraid of? _Dad?" _Ali stared at his father desparately.

"Oh don't look at him, he doesn't know." The Oracle said dismissively. "I'll tell you... you now know that every year on your birthday, you will age backwards by fifteen years." The Oracle looked at Ali expectantly. Ali refused to respond, but grimaced slightly.

"Oh, how horrendus." Mozenrath muttered, folding his arms. "Be very afraid. You'll love your birthday in thirty years."

"Ah - but you've forgotten something." The Oracle said. Mozenrath narrowed his eyes. Aladdin glanced at his brother nervously. The Oracle turned to Ali, smiling darkly. "So, let's say Ali died young, yes?" The Oracle looked directly at Mozenrath. "Okay? So, he's dead-" She casually pointed a finger over her shoulder, and Ali dropped to the floor with a yell - Aladdin let out a silent scream.

Mozenrath drew back his gauntlet arm, but it was seized by another force, and he could no longer move it. "No-" Mozenrath snarled, tugging against the force, even seizing his right arm with his left, trying to get free. Aladdin was still staring at Ali's motionless form.

"So," The Oracle continued. "Ali-baby's dead, and- what is it you do here? Where I come from, we bury the dead, but _you..._" The Oracle smiled slightly, and flames erupted around Ali's form.

_"NO!" _Aladdin yelled. "_Stop it!"_

The Oracle laughed as the flames grew brighter - soon, too bright to focus on. When the flames died, all that remained was a small heap of ash.

Aladdin dragged the back of his hand across his eyes roughly, removing tears.

"Oh don't despair!" The Oracle. She materialized in front of Aladdin, and stroked his face. A muscle twitched in Aladdin's jaw as he tried to jerk his head away. "Every year, on his birthday..."

The Oracle side-stepped so that Aladdin could see Ali's ashes, which were slowly raising into the air.

"Oh no..." Mozenrath said.

"What?" Aladdin said.

"Don't you see? Every year on his birthday, he - and his sister - age backwards by fifteen years-"

"Yeah, until the next day. So?" Aladdin interrupted his brother.

"That still applies, even _after he dies."_ Mozenrath hissed.

"What?" Aladdin looked back at Ali's ashes, which appeared to be re-forming.

"At least, until his birthday age catches up with the age that he died at." The Oracle sighed.

By now, Ali's ashes have collected up in the air to form... the figure of a small child. Pretty quickly, the ashes became flesh and blood once more...

The Oracle held out her arms, and the baby Ali was gently lowered into them.

"Don't. Give him to me." Aladdin snarled. The Oracle acted like she didn't hear.

"So, for fifteen years, he will be brought back to life on his birthday - which won't be fun, as I'm sure Ali will testify..."

Ali began to grow, until the Oracle put him down, once he began to get to about four years old - but he didn't stop there. He kept growing until he was fifteen again. Ali got up slowly, squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered, like he had just bitten a lemon.

"and at the end of his birthday," The Oracle continued, "he would have to re-live his death, and become ash once more."

"What?" Ali said, weakly, having only heard the last part of the conversation.

"So, the solution is simple." The Oracle said brightly. "You two," She pointed at Aladdin and Mozenrath. "just have to keep dear Ali-baby here alive... for as long as possible. Or, he'll face the prospect of death - a death that will be repeated fifteen times over." The Oracle smiled, then placed one finger to her chin, thoughtfully, and stared at Ali.

"What?" Ali said, backing away.

"You _do _remember the prophecy I gave you, correct?" The Oracle asked. " putting yourself before the ones who matter most to you? It may kill you one day. Not just because you literally fling yourself into harms way to save your family and friends, but because you look uncannily like your father... his enemies become yours."

"Oh no." Ali backed away from The Oracle, who raised her hand.

"Isn't it a shame that you have so many enemies?" The Oracle shrugged. "And unless you are there to help, every single one has the opportunity to end your son."

Ali suddenly choked, and put his hands to his throat.

"What's happening? What are you doing?" Aladdin yelled.

"He's... drowning?" Mozenrath said. Aladdin stared hard, and realized that Ali's hair was swirling around him like he was underwater, as were his clothes. When Ali opened his mouth, bubbles came out.

"No-!" Aladdin moaned, completely unable to help his son.

Suddenly, Ali's breath returned, but he still appeared to be underwater. "What?" He said.

"Oh, I'm sure your father will tell you that it's not the water you should be afraid of, but what's _in _the water." The Oracle smiled, as something purple faded into view behind Ali.

"What is that?" Aladdin tried to see over Ali's shoulder. Ali turned cautiously.

"Oh _great! _It's Armand!" Ali tried to swim away, but Armand managed to grab his ankle, and wrench him back, promptly restraining him by his limbs.

"Oh, Aladdin!" Saleen appeared from nowhere, swimming slowly towards Ali, who dropped his head to hide his face, and began struggling - and the groaning and snarling noises he made sounded _exactly _like Aladdin.

"Saleen - leave me alone!" Ali yelled, still mimicking Aladdin to perfection. "I don't, want, _this!" _He punctuated each word with a violent tug from his arms.

"You won't think that in a few minutes." Saleen held up a pink starfish.

_"No!" _Ali was still mimicking his father's voice. He threw back his head so Saleen couldn't see his face. "Genie! Jasmine!"

As Saleen held out the starfish, she, Armand, and the non-existant water all vanished.

"Ow!" Ali yelped as he fell to the floor.

"Did you see that?" The Oracle smiled. "How sweet - pretending to be his father so Fish-Features would take him instead of his you."

"Shut up." Ali muttered, scrambling to his feet.

"How did you know who those two were?" Mozenrath folded his arms, and stared at Ali.

"I- I..." Ali looked at his father.

"Next." The Oracle commanded.

_"Hey!" _Ali was suddenly grabbed from behind. Ali fought, but whoever it was had a strong grip on his arms. Ali looked over his shoulder briefly. "Haroud?"

"Keep 'im still, Haroud." Abis Mal's voice commanded. Ali turned to see Abis Mal standing before him. "Say goodbye to your dear princess, Aladdin, and say hello, to the _Wrath, _of the _PHOENIX!"_ Abis Mal held up a small statue of an elegant bird, which glowed, and shot a glowing ball of fire out of its chest, which flew towards Ali...

Abis Mal, Haroud and the Phoenix Statue vanished, leaving Ali, running away from a giant, mechanical grasshopper.

"Hold _still, _Street Rat!" Mechanicles roared from inside the grasshopper. A beam shot out of the grasshoppers mouth, hitting Ali...

Malcho; wrapping his coils around Ali, Mirage raising her claws, Rasoul grabbing Ali by the throat, _Jafar_ with his staff; pushing Ali to the floor, Aghoul advancing on the fallen Ali brandishing his scythe, the three witches of the sand, Sal'uk, Aziz, Arbutus, Destane, Mozenrath...

"No!" Ali flinched as an apparation of Mozenrath fired at him with magic... which disappeared before it hit him.

"And even if you can prevent all that..." The Oracle smiled, then suddenly appeared behind Ali, and seized his shoulders. "There's always _me." _She suddenly lunged forward, Ali let out a scream...

Then Aladdin, Ali and Mozenrath all woke up.


	13. We All Hate Oracles

I have defeated the writer's block! HOO-HA! Okay, here's the next chapter... even though you've all probably lost interest by now...

* * *

We All Hate Oracles

Aladdin sat up quickly, and looked around. He jumped when he saw Sadira sitting beside him. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Why are you here?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Ugh..." Aladdin rubbed his head. "Because Ali- _wait!" _Aladdin looked around frantically. "Where is he? And where is-"

"Excellent question." Aladdin turned at the sound of his brothers voice. Mozenrath was standing beside a window. "I have no idea where he went."

"Was he even here?" Sadira asked, looking up at Mozenrath. "When I found you, you and Aladdin were just lying here, twitching. Carpet was here too – he flew off a moment ago, but Ali wasn't here."

_"What?" _Aladdin got to his feet, and looked around. "Then where is he?"

"I don't know! will someone _please-"_Sadira began, but she was cut off, when a blue telephone appeared in front of Aladdin, floating in mid-air. It rang loudly.

"Genie." Aladdin whispered, and answered it. "Genie? What is it?"

"Al – Junior's here." Genie's voice sounded through the phone.

"Ali?" Aladdin said in relief.

"Yeah – Carpet came zooming back and found him asleep right where the Oracle first attacked him. Where are you?" Genie asked.

"I'm in The Land of The Black Sand-" Aladdin began.

"Good, that's where Ali said you were. Are you and Wiz-Kid all right?"

"We're fine, is Ali-?" Aladdin started, but he found himself unable to finish.

"Well Al, he's..."

"What?"

"He's a bit... unresponsive? Either it's the world's worst case of silent treatment, or something has _really _freaked him out. He's not saying much, but he wants to know where you are. And he's got these marks on him that won't fade-"

"What kind of marks?" Aladdin asked. Mozenrath's head snapped up.

"Grey smudges all over his skin, and some of his veins are black-"

"His veins are _black?" _Aladdin almost shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah, if I didn't know any better, I would have said he'd been bitten by a Basilisk," Genie said seriously. "he wouldn't have ticked off the Heir of Slytherin recently-"

"Hey!" Aladdin was suddenly shoved aside by Mozenrath, who seized the phone.

"Quit babbling genie, where are you keeping the boy?"

"What-?" Aladdin began furiously from the floor, but Mozenrath held up one finger.

"The Throne Room? How intelligent. Tell everyone to stand clear of him for a moment." Mozenrath snapped, before slamming the phone down so hard, it bent in on itself and smacked Genie in the face.

"Ouch!" Genie rubbed his jaw, then turned around. Ali was in the centre of the room, but Jasmine and Carpet were blocking him from view. "Jazz, the Wiz-Kid says to get away from Ali for a moment."

"Mozenrath? What's he got to do with this?" She said, standing up. Carpet retreated to Genie's side.

"I'm not sure. He just said to stand back." Genie said. Jasmine walked unwillingly away from Ali, still watching him. He looked terrifying at the moment, so she had sent Rubith and Ahmahl away, and Iago and Abu had insisted on going with them to "keep them safe" (cowards have no shame).

A blue flash of fire appeared behind Ali – Jasmine gasped – in the fire was Aladdin, and Mozenrath was behind him. Aladdin appeared to be walking forwards cautiously, but Mozenrath gave him a shove, and he fell through the portal, landing on his hands in a handstand, before flipping over and landing behind Ali.

Aladdin looked up at Jasmine, and nodded once. He knelt down beside Ali, who was sitting on the floor facing Jasmine, Carpet and Genie, his back to Aladdin. "Okay Ali, we have to go again." Aladdin muttered, holding Ali by his upper-arms and helping him to his feet. "Are you all right?" Aladdin asked.

"No." Ali said, in a hollow voice. "I'm not all right, Father." Jasmine and Genie jumped; it was the most Ali had said since he got back.

"What do you mean?" Aladdin said, comfortingly, "You'll be fine, come on-"

"No – _look at me!"_ Ali wrenched free of his father's grip and spun around. Aladdin let out an involuntary gasp. "See!" Ali said, black tears in his eyes.

Ali looked a mess – every part of him with thin or no skin was black: the rims of his eyes, his lips, the inside of his mouth, his nail beds and the veins on his wrists, neck and ankles were black, and he had grey smudges all over him – particularly on his face and neck.

"What's happened to me?" Ali said, black tears running down his face.

"You'll be okay." Aladdin said firmly, looking into his son's black-rimmed eyes. "Come with me." He led Ali towards the portal, but as he was walking along, one of Ali's legs gave way.

"Sorry... lost my footing. I'm being clumsy." Ali clutched at his father's arm, trying to get back up.

"No, there's something wrong, isn't there?" Aladdin asked. Ali looked away. Aladdin sighed, and gestured at Carpet, who immediately swooped over and helped Ali up.

Aladdin pushed Carpet and Ali through the portal, and was about to step in...

"Aladdin." Jasmine whispered. Aladdin looked over his shoulder, and was about to say something, when Mozenrath impatiently yanked him through the portal.

"Hey!" Aladdin said furiously when the portal closed behind him in Mozenrath's lab. "Ali's her son, too!"

"Trust me, you'd rather she didn't see this." Mozenrath said, in a dark tone that was creepy for Aladdin, and downright terrifying for Ali.

"What are you going to do?" Ali backed off into a wall. Mozenrath walked forwards slowly.

"I'm going to be blunt: what happened after Aladdin and I left The Oracle's realm?" Mozenrath said, staring straight at Ali.

"She..." Ali swallowed. "Well, you and Dad just kind of... seized up, and disappeared. Then... then she said 'Now'..." Ali shook himself.

"What?" Mozenrath darkly, still staring at Ali.

"'Now we're alone.'" Ali shivered, and placed his hand on his neck.

"Keep going." Mozenrath said. When Ali looked up at him in despair, Aladdin punched Mozenrath's arm.

"You can't just leave it?" Aladdin hissed.

"No – I _need_ to know what she did if we want to cure him." Mozenrath snapped.

Aladdin looked at Ali. "Sorry." He said.

Ali swallowed. "And then I tried to run, but she appeared in front of me and... she leapt at me, and pinned me down on the floor." Ali closed his eyes, and pressed his hand down hard on his neck.

"What's wrong with your neck?" Sadira asked. Ali flinched.

"I..." Ali suddenly screwed his eyes shut as pain surged through him. "Ah... she bit me." He gasped. "And _this_ keeps happening."

"What keeps happening?" Aladdin asked in concern.

"Ow... pain." Ali said. He shook himself.

"Poison." Mozenrath said.

"She poisoned me?" Ali said in disbelief.

"No - but pretty close. The Dark Oracle's powers: it's sometimes called "Poison"." Aladdin said. Mozenrath stared at Aladdin, who suddenly looked uncomfortable. "It's what you said earlier."

"Yes, well... she's gotten it into your bloodstream through biting you..." Mozenrath stared up and down. "And... I'm guessing from the smudges on your face-"

"Yeah." Ali said. He squeezed his eyes shut as - with a noise that sounded like a tree being bent over - the skin around his jaw and hairlines became lines with black veins. Ali dropped to all fours and screamed through clenched teeth.

Aladdin ran forward and dropped to his knees beside Ali. "Ali!"

Ali's eyes snapped open, and Aladdin nearly flung himself away from his son, but refused, even though Ali's eyes were completely black now.

"_It's really hurting now." _Ali said in a rattling whisper.

"Now would be the time." Mozenrath walked forward. "Sadira, I need you to bring that over here." He pointed at a black vase that was on his shelf.

"What are you going to do?" Ali and Aladdin both said at the same time.

"Don't talk at the same time; it's weird." Sadira had finally lugged the vase over to Mozenrath. "Now what?"

"Aladdin - hold him still." Mozenrath commanded his brother. Aladdin looked at Mozenrath, frowning slightly, but did as he was told. Ali looked apprehensively up at his Uncle.

"Sadira," Mozenrath continued. "Can you push that vase here? That's perfect." Mozenrath looked into Ali's black eyes.

"This is going to hurt, but try not to yell. If you feel pain, just squeeze Aladdin's arm." Mozenrath said. Ali nodded. "Good. Bite this." Mozenrath conjured a leather-like strip from thin air, folded it a couple of times, and put it in Ali's mouth. Aladdin tried not to notice that Ali's teeth were stained an eerie grey-blue colour - no doubt from the Poison.

"On three." Mozenrath said. "One." Mozenrath quickly pressed his gauntlet to the wound on Ali's neck, and his gauntlet glowed. Instantly, Ali cried out, but nobody could hear him as he bit down hard on the belt.

"You said _three."_ Aladdin snarled.

"Old habits die hard." Mozenrath said, grabbing Ali's hair with his left hand so he could turn Ali's head to the left, exposing more of his injured neck. Aladdin stared as the Poison was being slowly being drawn out of Ali through the mark in his neck.

Ali's eyes – which had been clenched until now – suddenly snapped open, their normal colour, and the last traces of darkened veins vanished.

"Mozenrath – it's done!" Aladdin shouted.

Mozenrath ripped his hand from his nephew's neck (who immediately went limp) and plunged his hand into the black vase he had asked Sadira to carry over. After a moment, he wrenched his arm from the vase and sealed it shut.

"Don't. Break. That." Ali muttered.

"I don't make the same mistake twice." Mozenrath raised his gauntlet, and blue fire descended on the vase. "I'll just... roast her."

Ali squinted in the bright blue light. "I have no objection to that."

After a moment, Mozenrath looked satisfied, and the vase opened itself up. A quiet whisper came out:

_You will pay._

Then, silence. Mozenrath lit up his gauntlet, and moved the vase back to where it was before, then cringed slightly, rubbing his wrist.

"Are you okay?" Sadira said.

"I'm fine." Mozenrath turned abruptly. To some, this would look like he was blowing her off, but Sadira knew Mozenrath well enough to understand that he just was concious of the fact that Aladdin was there too. "What about you two?"

"I'm good." Ali stood up.

Aladdin got up too. "Yeah, we're fine. We should probably go -"

"Oh, so soon? Are you sure you don't have any other problems that I have to sort out for you, or can you handle yourself?" Mozenrath said, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Aladdin shook his head. "We'll go now."

"Or, you could transport us home." Ali pointed out. "Since I don't feel like walking across all that desert."

Mozenrath rolled his eyes, and snapped his fingers, making Carpet appear.

"Carpet? Hey," Aladdin laughed as the enchanted rug swooped down, wound itself around him a couple of times, then lay still to allow Aladdin and Ali to climb on.

"Bye you two – _oh!" _Sadira had taken a step back, waving to Aladdin and Ali, then tripped over backwards on the dress she was wearing, but Mozenrath caught her, and stood her upright. "Sorry, I haven't gotten used to this outfit yet."

"Why _are _you wearing that anyway?" Aladdin said, confused. Sadira was wearing an interesting outfit - a slim-fitting, red dress, which was trimmed with black around the bottom of the skirt, neckline and cuffs. She was wearing a small, golden headpiece in her hair, which had a blue stone on it. A clear, golden, veil like shawl was attached to the back of her dress and her wrists. A dark blue belt was wound around her waist. It was quite extravagant for Sadira: Aladdin couldn't help but stare.

Ali looked at Sadira, who looked embarrassed, but stared back at Aladdin. Mozenrath was suddenly very interested in the walls of his lab. Ali caught his eye, and winked.

"Carpet, let's move!" Ali said, in a perfect imitation of his father. Carpet obediently whizzed out of the nearest window.

* * *

"Carpet, slow down!" Aladdin called, as he had almost fallen off when the rug had unexpectedly jolted. Carpet immediately stopped, and Aladdin looked at his son.

"Please stop scrutinizing me so much. It feels uncomfortable." Ali said.

"Why did you make us leave?" Aladdin asked.

"You were asking them personal questions that they don't want you to know the answers to yet." Ali said. Aladdin froze.

"You know, don't you? The Oracle let you see what happened the day you were born?"

"Yes, I know." Ali pulled a face. "More than I should, I reckon." Aladdin nodded, and looked away. Ali sighed in relief – he was counting on the fact that Aladdin thought the Oracle had told him all he knew.

"What do you mean?" Aladdin said. _Here we go. _Ali thought. _I'm about to lie to my father. I am a despicable human being._

"She showed me… a lot of things." Ali said vaguely.

"Ali…" Aladdin said in a warning tone.

"Fine. She's showed me about… the last three years." Ali said.

_"What?" _Aladdin said, and to his surprise, found that Ali had mimicked him perfectly at the exact same time.

"Sorry." Ali smiled and shrugged. "I just knew you were going to say that."

"Don't _ever _run around, pretending to be me, ok?" Aladdin said.

"You have way too many enemies." Ali said.

Aladdin looked down. "Yeah, I suppose I do." He muttered.

"Still, it's nice to have Mozenrath on our side." Ali said, cheerfully.

Aladdin grimaced. "You've seen all of that?"

Ali grinned. "Are you ready for this? Ok…" He held up one finger and cleared his throat. _"No, this isn't fair!" _He said, in an amazingly accurate impression of his uncle.

Aladdin fell about laughing. "You're almost as good as Iago."

"Nah, I can only do you and Uncle Mozen." Ali shrugged, and then paused. _"This would be- _burgh. Okay, let me try again: _this would be much easier if I were much younger. _Hey, I can do Granddad's voice too."

Aladdin stared at his son, wide-eyed. "So… _everything _from the last three years?"

"Nah, there's obviously some gaps, but pretty much." Ali said. He raised his eyebrows. "So there's a whole lot more to what we had been told, huh? It wasn't just that you and Mother saw each other in the marketplace and fell in love? You kinda missed out the part where an insane sorcerer was chasing you."

Aladdin gave a small chuckle. "Ah, Jafar." He said, through gritted teeth. "Can't say I miss him."

_"'Are you afraid to fight me yourself you cowardly snake'_?" Ali said, in a perfect imitation of Aladdin. "Good one."

"I didn't know he was going to turn into a snake!" Aladdin said, defensively.

"I did... well, I did after he swooped down on it."

"Yeah - that was the moment when I realized that I'd made a _huge _mistake."

"That was dumb - you should have just called him a chicken." Ali said seriously. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. "So... what do I tell Rubith?" Ali said once he had stopped laughing.

"I think... we should wait - I mean, I'll talk to Jasmine first."

Ali nodded.

"So... what's with Sadira?" Aladdin looked thoughtful. "Why was she there?"

"Because Mozenrath was there." Ali said carelessly, lounging back on Carpet.

"What?" Aladdin said, confused. Ali propped himself up on his elbows and stared at his father in disbelief for a moment.

"You genuinely don't get it?" He said, finally.

"Moze and Sadira? Come on!" Aladdin laughed, and lay back. "That'll never happen."

"Dad..." Ali shook his head. "In the cave, I _saw_-"

"What?" Aladdin said, leaning forward slightly when Ali stopped.

"The Oracle - she showed me everything that happened in the cave." Ali said, then swallowed. "They liked each other. You could tell from the way they were acting."

Aladdin looked thoughtful. "Actually, they seemed to hate each other. Didn't even look at each other in the middle."

"Oh yeah." Ali said sarcastically. "Dad - _honestly."_

_"What?" _Aladdin said, feeling inferior.

"He started ignoring her after he saw the memory of her crushing on _you. _He was _jealous."_ Ali said exasperatedly.

"No way!" Aladdin grinned slightly, leaning forward.

"And then they kept looking at each other when the other wasn't looking, when Mother and Mozenrath were replaced by those doubles, fake Mozenrath was a major jerk to her about it, they kissed later on, and-"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, forgot you didn't know that." Ali looked innocently at the sky.

"Really?" Aladdin said in disbelief. Ali rolled his eyes. Aladdin looked at him uneasily.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they had gotten married in secret." Ali shrugged. "With Hessa and all."

"Right…" Aladdin said. "That's a bit too disturbing for me."

"But probably true. S'pecially since they're practically wearing matching outfits."

"…What?"

"Well, you've got Mozenrath wearing mostly-blue, a bit of black, trimmed with gold and a little red, it's normal that his lady would wear mostly-red with a bit of gold, trimmed with black and a little blue." Ali said, before catching his father's eye.

After looking at each other for a brief pause, Ali said:

"I have been hanging around Genie _way_ too much."

Aladdin nodded and laughed. "All right Junior, we'd better get going."

* * *

Author's note:

I am so sorry this took such a ridiculously long time to update. Writer's block is a jackal. So, I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP - but first, I must study _Enduring Love, _which my English Literature teacher has made me grow to hate through over-analysis.

So... yeah. Here's an apology video for you all - it's Aladdin and Mozenrath, put to the song "The Plagues" from _The Prince of Egypt_. It turned out better than I expected :) Just copy and paste this into the address bar thingy, and click on the video that pops up :P

/watch?v=QjeKQI58h4c


	14. Zipped Lips

**Zipped Lips**

Carpet came to a halt quickly and smoothly in the middle of the Throne Room. Ali had barely gotten off of Carpet before Jasmine appeared out of nowhere, and hugged him tightly.

"Mother-" Ali protested quietly.

"Are you all right?" Jasmine asked.

"I'm _fine." _Ali smiled, pushing his way past Jasmine and hopping off of Carpet, when he noticed the spot where the Oracle had attacked him. "I'm fine." He muttered again, then shook himself, forced a smile on his face and turned to look at Aladdin.

"Dad, I'm going to turn in early." He said. "So… I won't say anything to Rubith, right?" Ali smiled, and walked quickly out of the room. Jasmine turned to Aladdin.

"What happened?" She said urgently. Aladdin looked at her, an almost sad expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Ali – once he knew he was out of sight of his parents, sprinted up the stairs and into his room, to find Rubith, Ahmahl and Urchin sitting on his bed.

"Ali?" Urchin stood up quickly and gracefully. She hesitantly took a step towards Ali before being shoved aside by Rubith, who flung her arms around her twin's torso.

"Can't…breathe…" Ali gasped, not taking his eyes off of Urchin.

"What happened?" Rubith looked at Ali. "Spill."

"It's a long story that I don't feel like repeating." Ali muttered. "If you don't mind…" He slowly pushed past Rubith and lay on his bed, not bothering to get under the covers or to wait for the others to leave the room.

"No way. You are telling us." Rubith said, approaching Ali.

"No, I'm not! Let me sleep!" Ali yelled, making Urchin, Rubith and Ahmahl jump. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I have a right to know!" Rubith said furiously. "If you hadn't flung yourself in the way, _I _would be the one who got cursed."

"If I hadn't flung myself in the way…" Ali laughed bitterly. "I am _done_ for."

"Er… what are you talking about?" Rubith said, staring at Ali in confusion.

Urchin frowned, and whispered something into Ahmahl's ear. Ahmahl looked at her, wide-eyed, and then crept towards Ali without either twin noticing.

"It… It doesn't matter." Ali muttered. "I just… don't want to talk about- _OW! _Ahmahl? What was that for?"

Ahmahl carried the small strands of hair that he had just torn from Ali's scalp over to Urchin and held them out.

"Ew, what are you doing?" Rubith wrinkled her nose.

"Wait a second…" Ali frowned, looking from Ahmahl to Urchin. "No!" He stood up.

Urchin quickly held the hairs up near her hairline. Ali froze mid-step as the hairs lengthened and became red, before attaching themselves to her scalp.

"Oh, _my-" _Urchin managed to yelp, pressing her palm against her forehead.

"What?" Rubith leapt up. Urchin blinked for a moment, then stared at Ali.

"No way…" She whispered. Ali looked at her furiously.

"That's cool. Just go ahead and use all those invasive powers you mother gave you. Go on – to Rubith's bathroom to view all my memories, because they were clearly yours to take."

"Ali-" Urchin began.

"_Leave."_ Ali said, his voice shaking with what Urchin took to be anger.

"B-" Urchin began, but Rubith held her arm.

"_Let's go."_ She whispered firmly, sounding almost like Jasmine. One hand on Urchin's shoulder, and the other on Urchin's arm, she forced the girl out the room, and quickly into a passageway that led to her chambers. "He's just upset. He hardly ever snaps like that, but when he does, you want to get out of the way. He doesn't mean it." Rubith said kindly.

Urchin nodded, glad that it was too dark to see the tears on her face.

In his room, Ali lay face down on his bed, ignoring the stinging of his eyes, and before long, he was dreaming about the dungeons.

* * *

"What?" Rubith said in annoyance up in her bedchambers. "Why can't we see it?"

"Because Serpentine is obviously a powerful sorceress." Urchin mumbled, rubbing her temples.

"Was." Rubith corrected. "But – we saw _bits _of it…."

"We were allowed to see everything – even the new info that Serpentine left Ali, just not-"

"The encounter inside Ali's noggin." Rubith summarized. "Interested as to what old Serpy wants…."

"Her prophecy said she would return for him..." Urchin said. "And predicted that he'll die by flinging himself in harms way to save someone."

Rubith carried on, apparently having not heard. "It's not all bad - at least we can pin the origin of our knowledge on Serpentine."

"Ali was the only one zapped, remember? Not you." Urchin said, irritably.

"True. But I can try and make out that as his twin, I get the memories too. Or something." Rubith looked thoughtful. "Just as long as Ahmahl pretends he doesn't know anything, and les parent-ahls don't find you, we're good."

"Mmm." Urchin murmured.

* * *

_"Oh no..." Jasmine had whispered. "Poor Ali... does he feel... betrayed?"_

_"No. He seems to... understand, sorta..."_

_"He always was the mature one."_

_"Yeah..." Aladdin sighed. "I'm gonna go and talk to him."_

Aladdin walked slowly up the corridors, processing. He had made up his mind. After checking on Ali, he would find Rubith, and tell her everything. Or at least, what was necessary, whether Jasmine agreed or not.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a yelp. Fearing the worst, he ran the last length of the corridor, storming into Ali's room, to see the room empty, and the bed in disarray. Aladdin stared at it in confusion, until he heard a muffled cry.

Aladdin ran further into the room to see Ali lying on his bedroom floor, shaking.

"No, help..." He whispered, frantically struggling against thin air.

"Ali?" Aladdin dropped to his knees, holding Ali's arms.

"No, let me out-" Ali gasped. _He lay on the cold floor of the dungeons, feebly fighting against the restraints on his wrists._

"Ali!" A voice called.

"No-"

_"Ali!"_

Ali jolted awake. "Father?" He shook himself. "Sorry - nightmare..."

"You're apologizing?" Aladdin shook his head, and hauled his son to his feet. "What happened in this one?"

"Just the dungeons." Ali sat on the bed, and looked up at his father. "Guess that's kinda pathetic, huh?"

"What?" Aladdin crouched on the floor in front of Ali. "Why would you even say that?"

"After all the things you've done, being scared of a dungeon is just so... so-"

"Ali, stop, _everyone_ is scared of something."

"Yeah, but something bad happening to friends or family is completely different to quivering at the thought of being locked in a room with a bad reputation."

"Ali, you've seen me scared now, haven't you?"

"So maybe the Unkbuut freaked you out, but you got over it. I mean, even after I went down there, the dungeons just..."

"You'll get over it too, you just need time. Trust me."

"Easy for you to say. You aren't afraid of anything any more." Ali mumbled.

Aladdin let out a small chuckle. "Actually..." He stood up slightly, and whispered something into Ali's ear before standing up.

Ali jerked back. "Seriously? That's what your worst fear is?"

Aladdin shrugged. "Yeah. Anyway, you hungry?"

Ali looked more confident as he stood up. "Yeah, starving, let's go."

* * *

** Genuinely have no excuse as to why it took me so long to update. Apart from the fact I started my A levels this year, and had no free time due to coursework, but I finished the last of my mock exams today, so momentary freedom, yay!**

**Oh great - I actually have English coursework due tomorrow. Ah well, I'll complete it during my free period tomorrow ;P**


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